The Badgers have 31 points in Big Ten play this season, just one point behind Minnesota. It doesn’t really matter who finishes first or second, just who finishes in the first two spots. The Gophers were off this week, so the Badgers picked up six points to close the gap.

With the pair of wins over the Spartans, the Badgers are now eight points ahead of Michigan for the No. 2 spot. The Badgers have four games left while Michigan has six, so it is possible for the Wolverines to overtake Wisconsin. But it’s unlikely, since the Badgers face Penn State and Michigan State to close out the season.

Ohio State also did not play last weekend, while Michigan split its series against Penn State. The only two conference wins the Nittany Lions have earned this year were both over the Wolverines. The Friday win was Penn State’s only conference win on the road.

(After the jump: How the Badgers have played at Kohl this season, Michigan’s struggles and Big Ten hockey success at the Olympics.) (more…)

Michigan (14-9-3, 6-5-1-1 B1G) vs. Penn State (5-19-2, 12-1-10-1 B1G): Feb. 21 at 6:30 p.m., Feb. 22 at 5 p.m.

Penn State’s only Big Ten win of the season came over Michigan back on Feb. 8, the last time these teams met. This will be the first series between the two teams in Michigan.

Two Wolverines have three points against Penn State — JT Compher and Mac Bennett. Zach Nagelvoort has a 4.91 goals-against average and a .867 save percentage against the Nittany Lions, while Steve Racine replaced Nagelvoort in net in the Feb. 8 loss to Penn State.

Michigan has struggled to score in the first period of late, surrendering five goals and scoring one in the first frame over the last three games. Penn State has led in its past four games, but is 1-3-1 in that stretch.

Zach Hyman — who was verbally committed to Princeton when Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky was there — has netted four goals and three assists over the last seven games.

The Wolverines won’t have Andrew Sinelli and Michael Downing in the lineup because of suspension issues by the league.

Matthew Skoff has started the past three games for Penn State and has given up three goals total over that stretch. He was in net for Penn State’s victory over Michigan, stopping 32 shots in the shutout win.

Nittany Lion leading scorer Eric Sheid as well as Rickey DeRosa have a team-high three points against the Wolverines.

Michigan is on a three-game losing streak, but the past two losses came against Minnesota, Big Ten’s best team.

I think Michigan is still a better team than Penn State, and two of Michigan’s last three losses came against Minnesota. The Nittany Lions have been playing well lately, and I think they should be able to take another game from the Wolverines.

Prediction: Series split.

Wisconsin (17-9-2, 8-5-1-0 B1G) vs. Michigan State (9-13-7, 3-5-6-4 B1G): Feb. 21 at 9 p.m., Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m.

Last week the Badgers earned their first road win since Nov. 16, and they’ll be back at home to face Michigan State.

The Spartans, with one of the best defenses in the country, have been playing their opponents well over the second half of the season. A win last weekend over Penn State snapped a seven-game unbeaten streak that consisted of four ties.

Michigan State’s goalkeeper, Jake Hildebrand, has played pretty well. His numbers have been improving all season, and he’s been backed by a team that blocks a lot of shots. In 10 of the last 11 games Michigan State hasn’t allowed more than two goals in a game.

But the Spartans have struggled to score over their last eight games, failing to tally more than two goals in a game. It hasn’t been enough to turn Hildebrand’s effort into wins, even if the Spartans did win a game last weekend despite taking 13 shots on goal.

Last weekend, the Badgers put Nic Kerdiles, Mark Zengerle and Tyler Barnes back on a line together, and the trio responded with three goals and an assist in the win over Ohio State on Saturday.

The teams, who are meeting for the first time this season, will be playing at the Kohl Center. At home this season the Badgers are 15-2-1, and if they sweep they’ll have a 17-2-1 record, the best in Badger history at the Kohl Center.

Before the win, Wisconsin hadn’t netted more than two goals in six contests in a row. So the Badger offense might struggle against a Spartan team that doesn’t surrender many goals.

But the Badgers are just too good at home.

Prediction: Wisconsin sweeps.

For the second time this season — and the first since  Nov. 16 at Miami — the Badgers won a game on the road. Wisconsin split the weekend series with Ohio State, and the Buckeyes now are tied for the No. 3 spot in the Big Ten standings with Michigan.

Ohio State’s Ryan Dzingel passed the 100-point mark in the loss to Wisconsin on Saturday. He’s the first Buckeye junior to reach the mark since R.J. Umberger scored his 100th in 2003. Dzingel, a Hobey Baker candidate, is one of the best forwards in the nation (and he’s in my Hobey Hat Trick). He leads Big Ten scoring with 38 points, but his assist on Saturday was his first point since Feb. 7.

The Nittany Lions tied Michigan State on Friday (and then lost in the shootout) and lost on Saturday. Penn State has scored more than three goals just once over its last 15 games. But, the Nittany Lions have been more competitive than the score indicates in some of those games. With four points so far, the Nittany Lions are locked into the sixth seed. (It’s actually mathematically possible for Penn State to move up a spot, but unlikely.)

For the Spartans, the victory snapped a seven-game winless streak. Over that stretch, Michigan State went 0-3-4 and allowed two goals or less in six of those seven games.

The Gophers, seven points ahead of Wisconsin, should have the No. 1 seed. Michigan and Ohio State are tied with 20 points while Michigan State has 19, but seeding doesn’t matter that much outside of the first two.

(After the jump: Where Wisconsin should finish, Big Ten goalkeeping and the state of Minnesota) (more…)

Michigan State (8-13-6, 2-5-5-3 B1G) vs. Penn State (5-18-1, 1-9-0-0 B1G): Feb. 14 at 6:30 p.m., Feb. 15 at 3:30 p.m.

The Nittany Lions picked up their first Big Ten win on Saturday, defeating Michigan 4-0. Four different Nittany Lions picked up a goal, including David Glen. Matthew Skoff was in net for the victory.

In both games against Michigan last weekend, Penn State scored at least three goals. Several Nittany Lions, including Casey Bailey and team scoring leader Eric Scheid, recorded three points in the series.

Even before the win, Penn State had been playing well. The Nittany Lions turned in some competitive performances against Big Ten opponents, including Michigan State. Ultimately the Spartans swept that series, winning 3-0 and 3-2. Michigan State is 3-1-0 in the all-time series.

The Spartans tied Ohio State in both contests last weekend before losing in the shootout.

Michigan State ranks 10th in the nation defensively, allowing 2.33 goals per game. The Spartans have given yo two goals or less 17 times this season.

The Spartans block more shots per game than any other team, helping out goalkeeper Jake Hildebrand.  In eight of his last nine starts, the Pennsylvania native has allowed two goals or less. Hildebrand has also stopped 30-plus pucks in six of his last nine starts, and his .933 save percentage ranks seventh in the nation.

But the Spartans struggle to score. Last weekend Michigan State adjusted the lineups, putting Greg Wolfe, Lee Riemer and Ryan Keller together again for the first time since December. They scored seven of 11 points against Ohio State,

The Spartans have a stingy defense and Penn State’s offense is almost as bad as Michigan State’s. But, I thought Penn State had a chance to beat Michigan State the last time these two teams played, and I still think they came close.

Prediction: Series split.

Ohio State (14-9-3, 4-5-3-2 B1G) vs. Wisconsin (16-8-2, 7-4-1-0 B1G): Feb. 14 at 7 p.m., Feb 15 at 8 p.m.

Wisconsin just handed Minnesota its first two conference losses, as the Badgers swept the Gophers at the Kohl Center last weekend.

At the Kohl Center.

I’m not surprised the Badgers won at least one of those games, because Wisconsin is almost unbeatable at home. The Badgers have lost twice at home, but one of those losses came against the Buckeyes.

And now the Badgers will travel to Columbus for the first time since 1969.

Ohio State hasn’t lost in its last five games, a streak that started with the win over Wisconsin. The Buckeyes have scored two or more goals over that stretch, led by Ryan Dzingel. His 37 points rank first amongst Big Ten skaters.

Christian Frey, who holds a 2.11 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage, has started in the last five games. He was also in net when the Buckeyes took down the Badgers.

Ohio State has a powerful offense, but the Badgers have the best goalkeeper in the Big Ten in Joel Rumpel. His .922 save percentage is tied for first, while is 1.90 goals-against average is the best in the conference.

The Badgers are also 2-14-1 on Valentine’s Day, which irrelevant but interesting.

When I think about some of Wisconsin’s road games, I still question if they can win away from the Kohl Center — no matter how impressive the wins over Minnesota were.

But I was really impressed by those two wins over Minnesota.

Prediction: Series split.

Minnesota (19-4-5, 8-2-2-0 B1G) vs. Michigan (14-7-3, 6-3-1-1 B1G): Feb. 14 at 9 p.m., Feb. 15 at 8 p.m.

Last weekend Wisconsin swept Minnesota, snapping Minnesota’s 14-game unbeaten streak. That’s not really an upset, given how good the Badgers are at home.

The alarming issue for the Gophers is their lack of offense.

Over the past three games, Minnesota — which once had the nation’s second-best offense — hasn’t been able to score more than two goals in a game. In the past three, the Gophers have been limited to one goal.

Sam Warning still leads Minnesota’s offense, but hasn’t registered a point in the last five games.

This is the first conference meeting between Minnesota and Michigan, and the first time these two teams since Nov. 28, 2010. Three Gophers —  Nate Condon, Justin Hall, Tom Serratore — and two Wolverines — Mac Bennett and Luke Moffatt — have played in the series.

Condon, Minnesota’s captain, is the only current player with a goal in the series.

The Wolverines are 3-1-1 in their past four games, defeating Wisconsin and Michigan State.

I know Minnesota is struggling, but there’s nothing about Michigan that stands out to me.

Prediction: Minnesota sweeps.

Minnesota entered the Kohl Center on a nation-high 14-game unbeaten streak, but left with two 2-1 losses against Wisconsin.

Given how strong Wisconsin is at home, I assumed the Badgers would win at least one of the games against Minnesota at home, but I never suspected Wisconsin would win both. The Badgers played pretty well against the Gophers, improving to 15-2-1 at home this season.

There’ll be more on Minnesota later, but Wisconsin is now second in Big Ten with 22 points, four behind the Gophers. But this season, Badgers have been awful on the road.

A couple wins over the Gophers are pretty big for the Badgers, but they’ll be back on the road next week to face Ohio State. It’ll be a good time for Wisconsin to either prove or disprove its status as an elite Big Ten team.

Penn State earned its first Big Ten win — and its fifth overall — after taking down Michigan 4-0. Assistant captain David Glen, who missed a few games after donating bone marrow, had a goal in the win.

Michigan may not be the strongest team in the Big Ten, but this was an important first in Penn State’s program history. The victory also snapped a nine-game losing streak for the Nittany Lions.

On Friday, Penn State allowed seven goals behind Eamon McAdam and P.J. Musico. That left Matthew Skoff available for Saturday, and the sophomore responded with a shutout.

Ohio State and Michigan State tied both games, while the Buckeyes “won” in the shootout. It marked the first time in Big Ten play this season the Spartans lost in the shootout.

Jake Hildebrand and Frey both allowed two goals in each game. It makes the fourth game in a row Hildebrand has allowed two goals or less, and his .933 save percentage now ranks sixth in the nation and tied for first in the Big Ten.

(After the jump: Minnesota’s offense is struggling, Michigan State might be on the rise and Christian Frey brings stability to Ohio State) (more…)

Wisconsin (14-8-2, 5-4-1-0 B1G) vs. Minnesota (19-2-5, 8-0-2-0 B1G): Feb. 6 at 8:30 p.m., Feb. 7 at 9 p.m.

Minnesota is one of the best teams in the nation, but the Badgers have been nearly unbeatable at home this season. When the teams met earlier this year in November, Minnesota won both games in Minneapolis.

The Gophers are on a 14-game unbeaten streak, which is the longest in the nation. Minnesota is 10-0-4 and has killed off 38 of 41 opponent power plays during that period.

Minnesota’s offense dropped to fourth in the country after being limited to three goals in a tie and win against Michigan State last weekend. The Gophers average 3.65 goals per game. (more…)

The Buckeyes swept Penn State, so the Nittany Lions are still waiting for their first conference win. Ohio State put up five goals in both games, and Ryan Dzingel scored three points in both games. He had two goals in Friday’s win and added another on Saturday.

Christian Frey started both games for Ohio State and has now started three games in a row, and won all of them. He’s 5-1-0 this season, and may have won Ohio State’s starting job.

The Buckeyes are fourth in the Big Ten standings, while Michigan moved into second place after beating Wisconsin in regulation and in a shootout. Shootouts don’t count in the PairWise but they do count in Big Ten standings.

Wisconsin is right behind Michigan with 16 points, and Ohio State is fourth with 13. I still think the Buckeyes, backed by a good offense a better goaltending situation than in November, might be in a better spot than either the Wolverines or the Badgers.

Jake Hildebrand was probably the goalkeeper of the week in Big Ten play, limiting Minnesota to three goals and making 63 saves over both games. His 26 saves on Friday helped the Spartans and Gophers tie, while he made 37 saves — and allowed one goal — in the loss on Saturday.

(After the jump: The problem with shootouts, Minnesota might be beatable and Wisconsin’s road woes) (more…)

Michigan (12-6-2, 4-2-0 B1G) vs. Wisconsin (14-7-1, 5-3-0 B1G): Jan. 31 at 6:30 p.m., Feb. 1 at 6:30 p.m.

The last time Michigan and Wisconsin faced off, the Badgers swept the Wolverines But those two wins happened at the Kohl Center, where Wisconsin is 13-2-1 this season. On the road, the Badgers are 1-5-0.

The Wolverines are 6-1-1 at home, returning to Yost for the first time since Dec. 11.

Joel Rumpel won four of his last five starts for the Badgers, but had his nine-game winning streak snapped when Wisconsin last to Ohio State last weekend.

Michael Mersch and Mark Zengerle lead the Badger offense with 24 points each. Zengerle is one assist away from breaking into the school’s top-10 career assist list, while Mersch recorded his first career hat trick in the last series between the teams.

Wisconsin’s offense is tied for fifth in the nation, averaging 3.50 goals per game. But they’ll face Zach Nagelvoort, who has a .935 save percentage.

JT Compher leads Michigan with 20 points. The freshman netted five points last weekend when the Wolverines swept Michigan State. When the Wolverines score at least three goals, they are 9-0-0.

Both teams are “ranked,” not that it matters much. Michigan hasn’t looked too impressive this season, but it’s still questionable whether Wisconsin can win away from home.

Prediction: Series Split

Ohio State (12-9-1, 2-5-1 B1G) vs. Penn State (4-15-1, 0-6-0 B1G): Jan. 31 at 7 p.m., Feb. 1 at 2 p.m.

Penn State’s David Glen will miss both games while he recovers from donating bone marrow. Ohio State will host a Be The Match drive at Value City Arena, where fans can register for the National Marrow Donor Program.

These teams have only met once before, and Penn State came away with the 5-4 win in 2012.

Ohio State, which will celebrate 50 years of Buckeye hockey on Saturday, averages 3.50 goals per game. Ryan Dzingel leads Ohio State and the Big Ten with 30 points a 1.36 points per game. He’s part of a Buckeye junior class that averages 5.36 points per game.

Christian Frey and Matt Tomkins have continued to split starts in net.

The Nittany Lions — still winless in conference play — are on a six-game losing streak and have won once in their past 13 games.

Eric Scheid’s 15 points are a team high. Eamon McAdam has started four of the last five games and holds a 3.94 goals-against average and .889 save percentage on the season.

While Penn State is still struggling to find wins, they’ve been playing better –at times — than their record indicates. But the Buckeyes just split a series with Wisconsin last weekend, a big win for a program that’s been playing well.

Prediction: Ohio State sweeps

Minnesota (18-2-4, 7-0-1 B1G) vs. Michigan State (8-12-3, 2-4-2 B1G): Jan. 31 at 9 p.m. Feb. 1 at 8 p.m.

The Golden Gophers are on a 12-game winning streak, the team’s longest sine 2006-07, when the Gophers went undefeated in 22 games. Over the unbeaten streak, Minnesota has converted 33 of 36 penalty kill attempts.

Minnesota averages 3.83 goals per game, second in the nation. Leading the attack is Sam Warning, who has 27 points on the season. Kyle Rau has 23 points, and the Gophers are 56-8-5 when he nets at least one. He also has four points against the Spartans all time.

Adam Wilcox holds a .929 save percentage and a 2.05 goals-against average. All time against Michigan State, Wilcox is 2-0-1 with a 2.30 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.

Jake Hildebrand has started in 15 straight games for the Spartans and is 2-3-1 in his last five games. Both wins came over Penn State.

Over the past 11 games, the Spartans have won three times, including a victory over Michigan at the Great Lakes Invitational. The team’s only conference wins have been over Penn State.

Minnesota is without question one of the best teams — if not the best — in the nation.

Prediction: Minnesota sweeps the series.

Wisconsin finally returned to the ice, as the Badgers took on Ohio State at home. This season, the Badgers have been phenomenal at the Kohl Center, and they’re now 13-2-1 at home.

Only two teams had Big Ten series last weekend, and Michigan and Michigan State were the other two conference teams that tangled. The Wolverines swept the Spartans, snapping a six-game winless streak. Michigan’s J.T. Compher led the conference in scoring over the weekend with five points (3g, 2a).

The Gophers went outside the league and competed for the North Star College Cup. Minnesota won the inaugural tournament but also reminded us that no tournament can be taken seriously when it ends in a shootout. Yes, Minnesota won the championship game in a shootout.

Speaking of the Gophers, Adam Wilcox is really good. And the Gophers are one of the best teams in the country, but we already knew that.

The Nittany Lions also played out of conference, hosting Boston College. Penn State lost once again, but the team played the Eagles closely and limited them to three goals in the game.

Boston College averages 4.48 goals per game and has the nation’s top-two leading scorers.

That’s not bad for Penn State, especially since they faced Thatcher Demko in net.

I still haven’t figured out how I feel about Wisconsin, and I probably won’t until they can consistently win away from home. Right now the Badgers are 1-5-1 on the road, and all five of its Big Ten wins have come at home.  

(After the jump: Why David Glen is doing a great thing, Michigan’s struggles and the Buckeyes becoming elite) (more…)

Michigan (10-6-2, 2-2-0 B1G) vs. Michigan State (8-10-3, 2-2-2 B1G): Jan. 23 at 7 p.m., Jan 24 at 6:30 p.m.

The teams will play a home and home series that starts Thursday at the Joe Louis Arena. It marks the 50th time the two teams have met at the Joe, and they have played there every year since 1990-91.

The Wolverines played the Spartans on Dec. 27 at the Great Lakes Invitational, falling 3-0.

Michigan has been fairly idle over the past month, playing four games over a six-week span. The Wolverines are on a five-game losing streak and haven’t won since Dec. 2. Over that span, the Wolverines have failed to score more than two goals. When Michigan scores three goals this season, they are 8-0-0.

Since Steve Racine returned from his injury, he has been sharing the net with Zach Nagelvoort. Nagelvoort is 6-5-1 with a 2.06 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage. Racine is 4-1-1with a 2.81 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. (more…)