After sweeping Wisconsin, Michigan has a three-point lead for first place in the conference. The Gophers split with the Spartans, dropping Minnesota to second and giving Michigan State third. Penn State is in fourth, thanks to a sweep by Ohio State. The Buckeyes are now eight points ahead of Wisconsin in the standings.

There’s more separation between the top four teams, which are now separated by eight points. Remember – because of shootouts, a win equals three points. And there are four games left in the season, so that means 12 points are at stake.

The Badgers were swept by Michigan. While the Wolverines aren’t scoring as many goals as earlier in the season, they appear more consistent than earlier in the year. And they dominated the Badgers in possession on Saturday (I’m saying this after watching, but the Corsi stats back it up).

(After the jump: Who can finish where, the best Big Ten goalkeeper and Ohio State is poised for a surge)

Who can finish where

Here are the standings:

1. Michigan (33 points)
2. Minnesota (30 points)
3. Michigan State (28 points)
4.Penn State (25 points)
5. Ohio State (18 points)
6. Wisconsin (10 points)

Each team can move in the standings, with 12 points at stake. It’s unlikely Wisconsin surpasses Ohio State, but the teams will face each other in the last weekend of the regular season. If Ohio State wins out and the teams ahead lose, the Buckeyes could finish as high as a tie for second, but that’s assuming Minnesota loses four in a row.

This is really a battle between the top four teams and the first-day bye. Penn State will play Michigan and Minnesota in the last two weekends, controlling much of its destiny for a bye. Michigan State also has a chance for a bye, and will play the Wolverines before the season ends.

The best Big Ten goalkeeper

On Friday, Michigan and Michigan State met for the closing game of their season series. Adam Wilcox returned to net after missing Thursday’s game, matching up against Jake Hildebrand. Last season, Wilcox and Hildebrand were a couple of the conference’s best goalkeepers, but this season their play hasn’t been as stellar as last season.

Saturday’s game ended in a 4-2 Spartan victory, and vintage Jake Hildebrand showed up, and made this toe save. The Big Ten broadcasters argued that Hildebrand is one of the best goalkeepers in the conference, but I think he’s the best. I’m not looking at his save percentage (although his save percentage of .925 percentage is first in the Big Ten) when I say this.

Wilcox hasn’t looked like last season, and he let in some shaky goals in the loss to Michigan State. An argument – as many asked me – can be made for Joel Rumpel, because he plays on one of the worst teams in the country. If Rumpel played for defensive-minded Michigan State, I believe his save percentage would be higher than the .902 it currently is. But, Rumpel has been wildly inconsistent this season – which isn’t a reflection of the team.

Ohio State poised for another run

Last year, backed by the scoring talents of Ryan Dzingel, Ohio State fought its way to the Big Ten championship game, including a victory over Minnesota. The Buckeyes came close to beating Wisconsin, but fell in overtime.

Everyone knew scoring would be difficult for Ohio State after losing its top two scorers. But the Buckeye problems transcended that, as injuries have hurt Ohio State throughout the season. But the Buckeyes still fought through them, and even scored six goals on Michigan in January.

It’s March now, and the Buckeyes have won four of their last six, including a sweep over Penn State and a 5-3 victory over Michigan. Now almost healthy, the Buckeyes might not earn the bye – but are playing well just in time for the Big Ten tournament.

 

Monday, March 2nd, 2015 - 1:28 pm | Big Ten, Blogs, Notes, Thoughts, Ramblings