The phrase, “It’s anyone’s game,” has been beaten into the ground when talking about this year’s wide-open Div. 1 boys hockey state title race.

But now that we’re in do-or-die mode, whether it’s a cliché or not doesn’t really matter because this highly-anticipated tournament will be far from one.

Top-seeded Pope Francis (18-4) has drawn much of the praise as the team to beat. It’s deep, it’s fast, and has one of the best goalies in the state in senior Nick Ritchie. Second-seeded defending champion St. John’s Prep (15-5) is just as legitimate a candidate to repeat, having won the daunting Catholic Conference again amid a 13-2 stretch over its last 15 games.

But what stands out this year is just how uncertain of a championship pick those two recent champs are, in respect to what’s around them.

Young No. 4 Catholic Memorial (14-6-1) is on an eight-game unbeaten streak and is playing its best hockey against the best in the state. The same goes for No. 5 BC High (11-6-3), which has a lights-out sophomore goalie in Drew Karlovits.

Third-seeded Hingham (16-4-2) is loaded with offensive firepower and won the Buddy Ferreira Classic to snap a slump. No. 6 Belmont’s (15-6-1) top line is as potent as any and sophomore Ethan Bauer is electric between the pipes.

No. 7 Arlington (15-5-2) won the Middlesex League Liberty and is a real candidate for more behind star forwards JP Messuri and Nolan Russell. No. 9 Reading (11-5-5) enters the tournament in a slump, but it would be foolish to rule it out. No. 11 Winchester (12-10) is also in the mix to turn heads again.

Eighth-seeded Xaverian (13-6-1) has a pair of elite forwards (Devin Gosciak and Jackson Morse) and a strong goaltender (Michael Bulkin) in a hopeful run to a fourth straight Final Four. The powers from the Catholic Central League have been a bit up and down, but No. 10 St. Mary’s (L) (14-7-1), No. 12 Archbishop Williams (11-10) and No. 13 Arlington Catholic (14-7-1) have skated with the best when they’re up.

No. 15 Natick, No. 16 Braintree, No. 18 Weymouth and No. 21 Needham are dangerous upset candidates, and several seeded in the 20s are too.

In Div. 2, top-seeded Billerica (18-1-1) has a potent attack anchored by one of the state’s best forwards in Danny Viscione, only losing to No. 2 Woburn (14-5-1). Behind senior 100-point scorers Jack Lee and Jack McEleney, and a show-stealing goalie in Adam Gerry, the Tanners’ success in the Middlesex League Liberty should have it prepared for a run to TD Garden.

No team in the division is hotter than No. 3 Canton (19-1-1) and its 20-game unbeaten streak. A fifth title-game appearance over the last six state tournaments is doable.

Aside from big losses to Billerica and Arlington, No. 4 Tewksbury (15-4-1) showed the right firepower to potentially reach TD Garden for a third time in four years with nine shutout wins over its last 13 games.

Fifth-seeded Concord-Carlisle’s (14-5-1) talented goaltending duo helps it stand as trouble deep in the tournament. No. 6 Milton (9-6-6) is 7-3 over its last 10 in the division’s fourth-toughest strength of schedule. No. 7 Walpole (8-9-3) hasn’t won or lost consecutively over its last 14 games, but has head-turning wins along the way.

Reigning champion No. 10 Boston Latin (10-7-2) is in a similar spot as last year when it went on a Cinderella run. No. 9 Whitman-Hanson (13-4-3) is on a seven-game unbeaten streak. No. 21 Silver Lake (8-12-2) and No. 22 Gloucester (10-8-2) look like upset threats.

No. 13 Duxbury, No. 18 King Philip and No. 19 Hopkinton are other sleepers.

Top-seeded Nauset (19-0-1) is the only unbeaten team left in the state and has been on a mission to do better than simply return to TD Garden. Logan Poulin is likely Div. 3’s top player, and the Warriors’ stoic defense has only allowed 17 goals all year as the clear favorite.

No. 2 Medfield (18-1-1) hung with it in a head-to-head last week that Nauset ran away with at the end. Fourth-seeded Scituate (16-4-2) also played Nauset tough in the regular season, losing by one goal twice. Both could have a shot at redemption.

Third-seeded Essex Tech had its best regular season ever and has high hopes behind senior Brady Leonard (147 career points). Reigning champion No. 8 Marblehead (15-5-1) is in a similar spot as last year with forward Kyle Hart starring again.

No. 12 Watertown/Wayland (7-12-1) and No. 7 Melrose (10-9-1) look for their division-leading schedule difficulty to translate into a deep run. No. 6 Bedford and No. 11 Methuen are on a collision course for a rubber match and the winner could make more noise. No. 9 Dracut/Tyngsboro (16-2-2) and No. 10 Shawsheen (15-3-2) are also dangerous.

Middlesex League-magic could roll over into a Div. 4 champion as well, with Stoneham (14-6) grabbing the top seed after navigating a gruesome schedule with success.

Second-seeded Hanover (12-4-4) and reigning champion third-seeded Dover-Sherborn/Weston (11-8-2) are on a collision course for a rematch from last year’s title game, and both have been tested plenty to prepare for such a run.

Tri-Valley League forces could spell trouble, as No. 6 Dedham (11-8) beat D-S/Weston earlier. No. 7 Medway (10-9-1) first needs to get past No. 10 Hudson (16-2-2), which is a serious sleeper in the division and beat Medway 7-1 last week.

No. 5 Winthrop (11-6-2) looks fit for a spot in the Final Four. No. 12 Norwell (11-8-1) rebounded from a tough start as winner in eight of its last 11 games to threaten.

No. 20 Monty Tech/Fitchburg and No. 24 Gardner are upset threats.

PREDICTIONS

Champion: No. 1 Pope Francis
Final Four: No. 1 Pope Francis, No. 2 St. John’s Prep, No. 5 BC High, No. 6 Belmont
Sleepers: Close your eyes and point
Potential Upset: No. 19 Burlington over No. 14 St. John’s (S)
Best First-Round Matchup: No. 15 Natick vs No. 18 Weymouth (Wednesday, 5:40 p.m.)

Champion: No. 2 Woburn
Final Four: No. 1 Billerica, No. 2 Woburn, No. 3 Canton, No. 4 Tewksbury
Sleepers: No. 6 Milton, No. 10 Boston Latin
Potential Upset: No. 21 Silver Lake over No. 12 Malden Catholic
Best First-Round Matchup: No. 11 Newburyport vs No. 22 Gloucester (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)

Champion: No. 1 Nauset
Final Four: No. 1 Nauset, No. 2 Medfield, No. 3 Essex Tech, No. 4 Scituate
Sleepers: No. 10 Shawsheen Tech, No. 11 Methuen
Potential Upset: No. 11 Methuen over No. 6 Bedford
Best First-Round Matchup: No. 15 Lynnfield vs No. 18 North Middlesex (Wednesday, 7:15 p.m.)

Champion: No. 2 Hanover
Final Four: No. 1 Stoneham, No. 2 Hanover, No. 5 Winthrop, No. 6 Dedham
Sleepers: No. 10 Hudson, No. 12 Norwell
Potential Upset: No. 24 Gardner over No. 9 North Reading
Best First-Round Matchup: No. 13 Latin Academy vs No. 20 Monty Tech/Fitchburg