Three Things I Think: Big Ten, Nov. 17
Posted by: Jashvina ShahLast weekend, Big Ten found some of its best success in out-of-conference play. The Spartans (expectedly) dropped their game to Boston College, although in an unexpected fashion.
All teams defeated their Atlantic Hockey opponents. Michigan netted a 7-3 win over Niagara, Penn State swept Sacred Heart and Ohio State swept Canisius. The Buckeyes are now on a three-game winning streak and have scored 15 goals over their last three games. After an 8-2 win over the Purple Eagles, the Nittany Lions recorded a 3-2 win.
In Minnesota, the Gophers split with the Mavericks.
(After the jump: Michigan State’s offensive boost, Big Tem powerhouse offenses vs. defense and the early Pairwise that doesn’t matter)
Maybe Michigan State’s offense is better than we thought
The Spartans have scored 13 goals over its last three games, and that included four goals against Boston College and Thatcher Demko, one of the best netminders in the country. Michigan State’s offense really struggled earlier in the season, although injuries didn’t help. The Spartans netted 12 goals against UNH, but I was still apprehensive to see if it would hold. I don’t think Michigan State will average four goals a game. But their offense looks better than we thought.
Michael Ferrantino led the way over the past few games with seven points, all assists. JT Stenglein, who leads the team in points, had three goals. Freshman Mason Appleton also had three tallies over that span.
And back to the loss to Boston College – I assumed they would lose. I just didn’t think Michigan State would score four goals, especially in the comeback they pulled together late in the game.
Big Ten powerhouses against its defenses and goaltending
A few Big Ten teams have been lighting up the scoreboard lately – Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State and Michigan. I’ve talked about this before about Penn State and whether or not the offense is sustainable. I actually spoke with Guy Gadowsky yesterday, and he said Big Ten play probably won’t be as high scoring.
Before speaking to him though, I honestly had no idea. Some teams in the conference – Penn State included – have struggled defensively. Last year the trend of high-powered offense didn’t really continue (like with Michigan), but this year I’m not so sure.
Ah, polls, rankings and PairWise
I have no issues with polls. They’re just fancy power rankings voted on by many people (myself not included). My only issue is that people think polls define how good a team is. The only thing that matters is the PairWise, and that doesn’t even matter until January.
