Another weekend of the season featured an in-conference matchup, a different stage and the last pieces of non-conference play for these teams. My biggest takeaway from this weekend is that the conference is a mess – and you can’t make much out (aren’t they all, though).

Minnesota and Michigan are tied for the conference lead while Penn State is third, Ohio State is fourth, Michigan State fifth and Wisconsin last. I know several weeks ago I said the Spartans would finish last, but now I’m not so sure.

Michigan State split its series with Ohio State, winning 4-2 before falling 2-1. The Wolverines swept Penn State. Minnesota dropped both its games at the North Star College Cup, while Wisconsin swept Alaska in non-conference play.

After the sweep this weekend, Michigan has moved really high in the PairWise – standing in fourth place. They’re the only team safely in the PairWise, though. Penn State is next at 17th and Minnesota is 20th.

(After the jump: Maybe MSG was a better idea, weaknesses non-conference play exposes, and the same dilemma with Michigan)

Maybe MSG was a better idea

I’ve been skeptical about the Big Ten hoops-hockey double header since its inception, mostly because I was there for the announcement. Hockey was tacked onto the package like an afterthought, and because of that I want sure it would succeed. But from the pictures I’ve seen and what others have told me, Michigan and Penn State played to a pretty packed crowd on Saturday night. The official attendance is listed at 13,479.

But is this sustainable?

I think some of the success has to be attributed to Penn State’s proximity to MSG. It’s not incredibly close, but obviously much closer than any of the other Big Ten teams. I’m really curious to see a ticket breakdown to see how many fans were Penn State students/alumni, and the same for Michigan.

Once the doubleheader starts featuring teams farther away, it might not draw as well. In 2017, the doubleheader will feature Wisconsin and Ohio State. The Buckeyes have trouble drawing fans (and so have the Badgers, of late) at home, and it’s hard to imagine a game at MSG will get much attendance. Then Minnesota against Michigan State is set for 2018, which might draw better.

The weaknesses non-conference games expose 

Minnesota fell at the North Star College Cup this weekend, finishing last. The Gophers first lost to Bemidji State 4-2 and then fell to Minnesota State 3-2. The late-season tournament was created to preserve the in-state rivalries that conference realignment lost, pitting four Minnesota teams against each other. The Gophers, once the best team in state, have now fallen to last.

I’m not intending to pile on. As such a young team, it doesn’t surprise me Minnesota isn’t having a great season. And it isn’t time to panic. These two games were Minnesota’s 14th and 15th against non-conference opponents – and the Gophers are 4-11 in those contests, with wins over Minnesota State, Northeastern and Connecticut.

This last non-conference set of games is a reminder of the Big Ten’s place in college hockey. A big drawback to the conference is there are only six teams, making it really hard to measure how good a team is or isn’t. When you’re playing against the same five other teams, it’s really hard to tell. And while the Gophers have done well in the Big Ten, the North Star College Cup was a good reminder that playing well in conference doesn’t mean a team is great nationally.

Take last year for instance – after winning the Big Ten tournament, the Gophers were defeated by Minnesota-Duluth in the first round of the tournament.

Now that conference play will resume in full as the season begins to close, really keep this one in mind.

The dilemma with Michigan

The Wolverines put on a show at the World’s Most Famous Arena on Saturday night, bringing the nation’s top offense and producing six goals. The Wolverines can push through almost any defense they see. They totaled 13 goals on the weekend.

But will it be enough? The main question for Michigan is goaltending. The Wolverines allow 3.13 goals per game, 45th in the country.

Michigan’s offense is a great weapon in the one-and-done format, but its goaltending and defense is also a big weakness in that format. So while the Wolverines have the potential of going far, they could also get knocked out pretty easily.

Monday, February 1st, 2016 - 10:00 pm | Big Ten, Blogs, Notes, Thoughts, Ramblings