This weekend features an easier non-conference schedule for some Big Ten teams. Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin have easy competition for this weekend. The Spartans will have a tougher test against Michigan Tech, and Minnesota will have a really hard time against the Fighting Hawks.

It’s way too early to look at the pairwise, but it’s never too early (and this is the only time, really) to compare non-conference records. The Big Ten is still second to the NCHC, but their winning percentage stands at .618. The Big Ten has played six games against Atlantic Hockey, while the NCHC has only played two.

The matchup to watch is really Minnesota against North Dakota. The Gopher still have to prove themselves, and North Dakota is a pretty good test. Not to mention the two teams are rivals, and those feelings haven’t changed despite the great shift in college hockey conferences.

Oh, and the Buckeyes are now the only undefeated team in college hockey.

Penn State (5-1-1) vs. Niagara (0-5-2): Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.; Nov. 4 at 7 p.m.

The Nittany Lions, after dismantling Canisius, will face the Purple Eagles at home for a two-game set. Penn State has won three games in a row and is undefeated in six. Freshman Denis Smirnov has the offensixve lead with nine goals, while Andrew Sturtz has five goals. Peyton Jones has five wins and a .920 save percentage.

Niagara just played a Big Ten opponent in Ohio State and have yet to win this season. The Purple Eagles are on a three-game losing streak and surrendered 16 goals last weekend. Niagara has two players with three goals and Kris Spriggs has a team-high six points. Jackson Teichroeb played the most minutes and has posted a .824 save percentage.

Penn State is still a pretty solid team despite last year’s departures, and the underclassmen – and goaltender Peyton Jones – have kept Penn State steady. But it’s hard to now how good Penn State really is until they play a tough schedule.

Prediction: Penn State sweeps

Michigan (3-3-1) at Arizona State (1-7-0): Nov. 4 at 7:35 p.m.

The Wolverines will be at Arizona State for one game, which should be an easy win. Michigan had a tough weekend, losing to Dartmouth and Vermont, but have gotten solid goaltending from Jack LaFontaine and Hayden Lavigne. Three players are tied with six points.

Former Terrier Robbie Baillargeon leads the Sun Devils with seven points. Goaltending duties have been split three ways, but senior Robert Levin’s .881 save percentage is the highest. Arizona State is on a four-game losing streak and just surrendered 13 goals to Harvard total last weekend.

Prediction: Michigan wins

Minnesota (3-2-1)  vs. North Dakota (5-2-0): Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. CT; Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. CT

The Gophers return home to host North Dakota in a renewal of their rivalry. These teams are meeting at Mariucci for the first time since 2012-13, before the Big Ten was founded. And it’s the first meeting since Justin Holl’s infamous game-winning goal in the Frozen Four with 0.06 seconds left. Hopefully this weekend’s series will be of a similar caliber, but the Gophers are much removed from that team.

Since returning from their Alaska tripe, the Gophers have struggled – as they have in recent years – to win. Minnesota pulled out a split in the North Country last weekend, but didn’t play as well as was expected. Still, the Gophers pulled an impressive last-minute comeback to tie the Saints last weekend. Eric Scheirhorn has a .890 save percentage and Tyler Sheehy has eight points.

North Dakota was one of the only undefeated teams along with Ohio State, but the Fighting Hawks were swept by Minnesota-Duluth last weekend and shut out on Saturday night. The Fighting Hawks haven’t exactly had a tough schedule, so this will be a good barometer for North Dakota as well. Brock Boeser, the best returning player in the country, has a six goals and 12 points. Cam Johnson’s save percentage isn’t stellar either and sits at .894.

Prediction: Series split

Michigan State (1-4-0) v. Michigan Tech (3-5-2): Nov. 4 at 7:05 p.m.; Nov. 5 at 7:05 p.m.

Michigan Tech may not be the toughest competition, but the Spartans are not playing well this season. Goaltending and defense have still struggled, and the offense is still not a strong point. Mason Appleton is leading the team with five points, but Ed Minney, the team’s starter, has a .870 save percentage. Michigan State is coming off a win, but it was a victory over a Princeton team that was just starting its season.

Three Huskies have five points while all three netminders have seen playing time. Freshman Angus Redmond has played the least, but at .946 has the best save percentage out of the trio and won both games last weekend. The wins marked Michigan Tech’s first winning streak of the season, and the Huskies have lost just one of their last six games.

Michigan Tech played a tough series against Michigan, and the Spartans aren’t on the level the Wolverines were. It’ll be a tough series for the Spartans.

Prediction: Michigan Tech sweeps

Ohio State (5-0-2) vs. Robert Morris (2-3-1): Nov. 4 at 7:05 p.m.; Nov. 5 at 7:05 p.m.

The Buckeyes and Colonials face off for a home-and-home series this weekend. The Buckeyes are on a four-game winning streak and are the only undefeated team in the country. Last weekend Ohio State swept Niagara by a combined score of 16-4. And they scored 10 goals in one game. Freshman Tanner Laczynski has taken the scoring lead with 11 points, one of three Buckeyes who’ve passed double digits in points. Matt Tomkins has been starting due to an injury to Christian Frey, and Tomkins has a .928 save percentage.

Robert Morris has just two wins this season with victories against RIT and Army. The Colonials have been very good in years past, but the Colonials lost some key players in the offseason. Freshman Francis Marotte has seen the most playing time in net and has a .946 save percentage, and Brady Ferguson has a team-high 10 points.

Prediction: Ohio State sweeps

Wisconsin (4-2-0) vs. Northern Michigan (2-5-1): Nov. 4 at 7:07 p.m. CT; Nob. 5 at 7:07 p.m. CT

The Badgers and Wildcats meet for the third and fourth times this season. The pair kicked off their seasons against each other, and that series ended in a split. Northern Michigan won the first game 3-2, but the Badgers bounced back for a 6-5 win. Wisconsin is on a two-game winning streak after sweeping the North Country trip. Senior Grant Besse leads the team with 10 points, a third of the point total he had last season. Matt Jurusik hasn’t been stellar with a .862 save percentage, but Wisconsin is still finding a way to get wins.

For the Wildcats, the win over the Badgers was one of two this season. Northern Michigan is on a three-game winless streak and has just one win – a victory over Ferris State – in the last seven games. Robbie Payne leads the team with nine points, while Atte Toivanen has a .903 save percentage.

While the series between the two teams happened not too long ago, the Badgers have shown improvement since then. They’re a team with a powerful offense, and the players are starting to show it.

Prediction: Wisconsin sweeps

Thursday, November 3rd, 2016 - 9:05 am | Big Ten, Blogs, Notes, Thoughts, Ramblings