Fresh off the age-limit proposal controversy, the Big Ten is back in action in its last weekend of regular-season play before Big Ten play begins. The conference has been playing a little bit better as of late, but still struggles against top-tier opponents.

Wisconsin has a bye this weekend, but all other five teams are in action.

Minnesota vs. St. Cloud State: Nov. 27 at 6 p.m. CT; Nov. 29 at 6 p.m. CT

The Gophers play in another in-state rivalry when they host the Huskies for two straight. Minnesota has struggled this year and has just four wins on the season. Most recently, the Gophers split their series with Notre Dame and Minnesota State.

The Huskies have been doing a little better than the Gophers, and just completed a series split with North Dakota. The Huskies also have wins against Miami, Minnesota State and Western Michigan.

Prediction: St. Cloud State sweeps

Michigan State vs. North Dakota: Nov. 27 at 7:05 p.m.; Nov. 29 at 3:05 p.m.

After a rough start to the season, the Spartans have been playing better of late.

North Dakota was heralded as one of the better teams in the country and their record reflects that, but the newly coined Fighting Hawks haven’t faced a very tough schedule yet. And North Dakota’s only two losses of the season were against Wisconsin and St. Cloud State.

Last weekend the Spartans battled Michigan Tech to a tie and a loss. Michigan State is on a three-gam winless streak, but did has scored four goals or more over its last five games. That’s big for a team known for struggling offenses. Oddly, though, the Spartans are giving up almost the same as they’re scoring.

Prediction: Series split

Ohio State at Nebraska-Omaha: Nov. 27 at 7:07 p.m. CT; Nov. 28 at 7:07 p.m. CT

The Buckeyes have fared better of late, and are on a three-game winning streak. Matt Tompkins, who’s now the team’s starter, has factored in all three wins. Ohio State’s offense has also been hot lately, with four goals or more in the past three contests. David Gust leads the team with nine points.

Nebraska-Omaha has been doing unexpectedly well this season. Losing Ryan Massa in net after last year was big, but the Mavericks are 9-2-1 on the season with notable wins over Minnesota-Duluth as well. Jak Guentzel has 17 points, tied for fourth in the country. Evan Weninger and Kirk Thompson have shared netminding duties this year.

Prediction: Nebraska-Omaha sweeps

Penn State vs. Vermont: Nov. 29 at 1 p.m.

The Nittany Lions and Catamounts resume their yearly series at the Wells Fargo Center. Penn State is 2-1 in the contest and earned the victory last year. Penn State’s offensive production has been good this season, but that will probably taper off as the season continues. The Nittany Lions are on a five-game unbeaten streak.

The Catamounts started the season well with a 3-0 win over North Dakota. But there are more losses than wins for Vermont, which dropped two games to a struggling Maine team. The Catamouns have just thre wins on the season.

Prediction: Penn State wins

Michigan vs. Dartmouth: Nov. 27 at 7:35 p.m.; Nov. 28 at 7:35 p.m.

The Wolverines host Dartmouth after leaving Boston with a split against the Terriers. Michigan has struggled with consistency and defense this year, but has some of the best offensive talent in the nation. The Wolverines average 4.11 goals per game, fifth in the nation.

This is the first non-conference series for the Big Green, who are 2-4 in ECAC play. Dartmouth suffered a couple of big losses to Harvard to open the season and dropped its contests to Yale and Quinnipiac, the ECAC’s elite. Troy Crema has a team-high six points while Charles Grant and James Kruger have split playing time.

Prediction: Michigan sweeps

Friday, November 27th, 2015 - 6:50 pm | Big Ten, Blogs, Notes, Thoughts, Ramblings