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.

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In the Halloween edition of Three Things I Think, we’ll go over some of the scariest things happening in college hockey/the Big Ten. (Maybe not, but I really love Halloween.) Things aren’t scary for the Big Ten, but probably for everyone else in college hockey who’s slowly watching the Big Ten’s non-conference record grow. It’s the kryptonite that’s kept multiple Big Ten teams out of the NCAA tournament for the past few years, but will most likely be the reason the Big Ten gets more than one team in this year.

Leading the conference is still Ohio State, which is still undefeated. But the Buckeyes did play Niagara and easily defeated the Purple Eagles by scores of 10-2 and 6-2. The Buckeyes are the only undefeated team in the country (not including the Ivies, which just began playing this weekend). That’s a little bit of a flip for the Buckeyes, who usually start the season slowly but end strong. Speaking of the Buckeyes, head coach Steve Rohlik was signed to an extension recently.

Ohio State wasn’t the only team to sweep the weekend, as Wisconsin came back from the North Country with a pair of wins. The Badgers defeated St. Lawrence 5-2 and then Clarkson 5-4. The Saints and Golden Knights are more along the top of the ECAC (although I’m not sure what being at the top of the ECAC actually means right now), so it’s a pretty good showing for the Badgers. Minnesota also took a trip to North Country but left with a split. The Gophers gave up three goals early to Clarkson but came back and won in overtime. They scored twice in roughly 20 seconds on Saturday night to take St. Lawrence into overtime for the tie.

Penn State also swept the weekend, but that’s not surprising with a pair of games against Canisius. The Nittany Lions took the first game 4-1 – and took 65 shots on net. Yes, 65 shots on net. On Saturday they followed with a shameful 47 shots and won 4-2. The Spartans picked up their first win of the season, defeating Princeton 6-2. It’s good the Spartans won, but keep in mind it was Princeton’s first game of the season. It’s always tough for teams to take the ice for the first time against a team that’s already played four times.

Michigan was the only team that didn’t win this weekend. The Wolverines dropped their first game 3-0 to Vermont and then the second 3-2 at Dartmouth. It’s not a good sign when you lose to a team that’s playing their first game of a season, and this weekend showed us Michigan still has a long road ahead. It looks like Zach Nagelvoort has officially been removed from the rotation, as both Hayden Lavigne and Jack LaFontaine took to the net this weekend. I haven’t seen them play, but 39 saves for Lavigne and 32 for LaFontaine isn’t bad.

There might not be anything scary to talk about, except apparently the pairwise is floating around. In the end of October? If that’s not scary I don’t know what is. (Actually I do and it’s Providence’ mascot, the Friar. Also possibly Quinnipiac’s mascot, who proposed to me in Albany last year and I’m fairly certain was going to kidnap me.)

(After the jump: I’m not impressed with Minnesota and Lucia, what’s good for Michigan and who’s going to win the conference)

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All six teams are in action for the Big Ten this weekend. A few teams are hitting the east coast, starting with a trip to the North Country from Wisconsin and Minnesota. Michigan will also be on that side of the coast to play Vermont and Dartmouth while Ohio State will face Niagara.

Michigan (3-1-1) at Vermont (2-1-1): Oct. 28 at 7:05 p.m.; at Dartmouth: Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m.

The Wolverines will try to extend their unbeaten streak as they head east to face the Catamounts and the Big Green. Michigan has won three of its last four games and haven’t lost since dropping the season opener to Union. The Wolverines have used a goaltending rotation, and so far the freshmen Hayden Lavigne and Jack LaFontaine are proving they can hold their own in net. That’s not the only place rookies are contributing, though, as Will Lockwood and Jake Slaker lead the team with three goals and six points each.

The Catamounts are unbeaten in their last two after tying and beating Nebraska-Omaha. Vermont also split with Clarkson. Craig Puffer leads the team with five points while Stefanos Lekkas and Mike Santaguida have split goaltending duties with a .930 and .907 save percentage, respectively. The Big Green have not played yet this season.

This will be an interesting test for Michigan, but it’s still too early to tell what kind of test it will be. But Michigan, while it may not have played the toughest schedule yet, has shown some positives early. The Wolverines do have a hand up on Dartmouth, as Saturday night’s contest will be the first this season for the Big Green.

Prediction: Michigan splits

Michigan State (0-4-0) vs. Princeton: Oct. 28 at 7:05 p.m.

The Spartans host Princeton for a one-game set, the first meeting between the teams since a Thanksgiving weekend matchup at Baker in 2014. The teams split that weekend, but the Spartans have won three of the last four contests against Princeton. Michigan State has had an interesting season. The Spartans are winless but did a pretty good job of limiting Denver’s offense last weekend. They’ve also had both Ed Minney and John Lethemon play, although Minney has seen more minutes. Neither has a save percentage near .900. Mason Appleton has three points.

Princeton has yet to play this year but returns much of its roster, including leading scorers Max Veronneau and Ryan Kuffner. Colton Phinney, the senior, has been solid in net over the last few seasons. It’s hard to tell who’ll win, since Princeton hasn’t played yet this year and Michigan State’s defense seems a little inconsistent.

Prediction: Princeton wins

Minnesota (2-2-0) at Clarkson (3-2-1): Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.; at St. Lawrence (3-3-0) Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.

The Gophers make a trip to the North Country this weekend to visit Clarkson and St. Lawrence. Minnesota just dropped a pair to St. Cloud State, which included a lost third-period lead. The Gophers have the second-best offense in the country with 4.75 goals per game, led by Tyler Sheehy’s three goals and eight points.

Clarkson just defeated UMass-Lowell 4-3 after tying Providence 3-3 last weekend. The Golden Knights have played a range of Hockey East competition so far this season and has a few wins and losses. Freshman Devin Brosseau and junior Sam Vigneault have five points each. Freshman Jake Kielly has a .909 save percentage.

St. Lawrence has also played a heavy Hockey East schedule but did split a series at Penn State to begin the season. St. Lawrence has lost its last two games, which snapped a three-game winning streak. The Saints have one of the best defenses in the country, although Kyle Hatyon’s goals-against average has dipped to .891 so far this season. St. Lawrence has gotten some scoring though, and Mike Marnell has eight points.

The Gophers have offense, yes, but proved they’ll struggle against good teams. St. Lawrence will definitely be a test for Minnesota.

Prediction: Minnesota beats Clarkson and loses to St. Lawrence

Ohio State (3-0-2) at Niagara (0-3-2): Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.; Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.

The Buckeyes look to continue their unbeaten streak with two games against the Purple Eagles. Ohio State has played well to start the season, which is contrary to how they normally play. In years past, the Buckeyes have started playing well midway through the season, but the wins are just too little, too late. Things are a little different this year, and Matt Tomkins has a .936 save percentage, giving Ohio State the goaltending it needs. Three players – Tanner Laczynski, Nick Schilkey and Ronnie Hein have six points. Schilkey has four goals.

The Purple Eagles are winless this season, dropping games to Holy Cross, Mercyhurst, RPI and Union, with some ties sprinkled in. Freshman Kris Spriggs has five points while Joe O’Brien and Jackson Teichroeb have split goaltending duties with a .917 and .843 save percentage, respectively.

It’s getting increasingly harder to pick against Ohio State.

Prediction: Buckeyes sweep

Penn State (3-1-1) vs. Canisius (2-3-1): Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.; Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.

Penn State is quietly putting together one of the best records in the country (even though it’s early) and their schedule actually hasn’t been a too easy so far. The Nittany Lions are unbeaten in their last three after tying and defeating Notre Dame. The only loss came to St. Lawrence. But now things start getting easy for Penn State, which will host Canisius, Niagara, Alaska Anchorage and Arizona State before getting into Big Ten play. Denis Smirnov, Chase Berger and Trevor Hamilton each have six points while Peyton Jones has a .916 save percentage.

The Griffins have won two of their last four games with an overtime win at Alaska and a win over Robert Morris. Ryan Schmelzer and Felix Chamberland lead Canisius’ offense with five points, while Charles Williams has a .927 save percentage. While the Griffins have three losses, two were against defending national champions North Dakota.

The Nittany Lions are probably going to just pad their record over the next few weeks.

Prediction: Penn State sweeps

Wisconsin (2-2-0) at St. Lawrence (3-3-0): Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.; at Clarkson (3-2-1) Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.

After defeating the NTDP U-18 team, the Badgers are back in action to join their border-battle rivals on a North Country road swing. The Badgers are already playing much better than they have in the last two years, and their offense has been playing well. Their defense, though, has not. But that’s to be expected. Head coach Tony Granato wants them to be creative offensively, and for a young team that means some mistakes and turnovers. Trent Frederic and Seamus Malone each have six points, While Matt Jurusik has a .856 save percentage.

So far this season it looks like the Badgers are capable of playing in high-scoring or low-scoring matches, and they’ll probably be able to match the pace of their North Country opponents.

Prediction: Wisconsin sweeps the weekend

The Big Ten, or half of the Big Ten, continued its non-conference success this weekend. The conference still has the second-best non-conference record, and now only the Big Ten, the NCHC and the ECAC have winning percentages above .500.

Ohio State is one of the last remaining unbeaten teams with a 3-0-2 record, but the Wolverines and Nittany Lions both went unbeaten this weekend. Michigan State was unsurprisingly swept by Denver and the Gophers were swept by St. Cloud State. Wisconsin defeated the NTDP U18 team 4-3.

The Buckeyes swept Bowling Green to stretch their undefeated streak to five games. On Friday, the Buckeyes scored twice in the last frame to tie the game and win it. Ohio State won 6-1 on Saturday. Matt Tomkins started both games.

The Wolverines played close games with Michigan Tech. Michigan was ahead on Friday night 3-1 but allowed two goals in the third period to the Huskies. It looked like overtime was near, but freshman Will Lockwood scored a shorthanded goal with 52 seconds left. On Saturday it was almost the same, except Cutler Martin scored the game-tying goal late for Michigan. The Wolverines again used different goaltenders, with Hayden Lavigne making 31 saves on Saturday and Jack LaFontaine making 42 on Saturday.

I still don’t know what to make of Michigan State, which after allowing 13 goals to Lake Superior, only gave up five to Denver. The Spartans dropped the first game 2-1 and then the second 3-1. Ed Minney made 24 saves on Friday and John Lethemon made 23 on Saturday. Penn State tied Notre Dame 3-3 and then won 3-2. While Penn State beating Notre Dame wasn’t expected, it’s not an upset. It’s too early in the season for teams that are still trying to find themselves for any of them to be really good. “Upset” is a term that should generally never be used.

This was not an easy weekend for the Gophers, which had a 5-2 lead in the third period of Friday’s game. The Huskies scored three goals in the last 10 minutes to tie the game, and Jake Wahlin won it for the Huskies in overtime. On Saturday, the Gophers had a 2-0 lead after the first. But St. Cloud scored two goals in the second and the game winner with seven minutes left in the third. This was the toughest competition the Gophers had faced so far, and it didn’t go so well for them.

(After the jump: Too many penalties, what Ohio State’s unbeaten record means and have the Wolverines finally found their goaltender)

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The Big Ten looks to continue its non-conference success this weekend with five schools playing. All teams but the Badgers, who will play the NTDP U-18 team, are locked into weekend series. The competition is tougher than last weekend, and some of the Big Ten teams may no longer be undefeated. But the conference has done well in non-conference competition so far with a 9-6-2 record.

There isn’t much we know about the Big Ten teams so far since it’s still early, but we do know that sophomores are leading Minnesota and both Michigan and Ohio State have done well defensively. Those three teams are facing a step up in competition, but their opponents for the weekend have been struggling.

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The Big Ten actually has the second-best winning percentage against other conferences this season, behind only the NCHC. That’s much different from years past, when the conference teams have struggled in early-season non-conference games. Two Big Ten teams are undefeated – Minnesota and Ohio State. The Badgers split with Boston College in an interesting series, Michigan State was swept and Penn State won against Mercyhurst.

It’s still early, but it looks like Penn State’s offense will be okay this year. The Badgers are definitely already a better team than they were last season, and Michigan has a bigger goaltending question than in the past few seasons.

The Gophers were off last weekend but defeated the NTDP U-18 team 9-0. Rem Pitlick had three goals and an assist, Brent Gates had two goals and Leon Bristedt had three assists. Ohio State skated to a 1-1 tie with Miami, and the Buckeyes have not allowed more than three goals in a game this season. Matt Tomkins earned the start and made 22 saves, while David Gust scored the lone goal.

Michigan defeated Ferris State 2-1 thanks to goals from Jake Slaker and Sam Piazza. The Wolverines started their third goaltender in as many games, and Jack LaFontaine made 28 stops in the win. So far, thanks to his shutout, Hayden Lavigne has the best save percentage on the team. LaFontaine has a .966 save percentage. Penn State defeated Mercyhurst 7-0. Nate Sucese had two goals and Peyton Jones made 20 saves. Sophomore Chase Berger had three points.

The Spartans started their season last weekend and it ended badly. Michigan State dropped a 6-1 decision to Lake Superior and followed with a 7-3 loss. In the first game, Ed Minney made 28 saves. John Lethemon had the save the next night but was pulled after allowing four goals on 13 shots. Minney replaced him and made 14 saves on 17 shots.

Wisconsin played a couple of interesting games against the Eagles. The Badgers won the first game 3-1 but lost the second 8-5. While the Eagles probably won’t be a great team this season, a split and eight goals on the weekend is encouraging for the Badgers. Ryan Wagner and Grant Besse both had two goals on the weekend. Matt Jurusik played in both games but Jack Berry saw some playing time on Sunday.

(After the jump: Cameron Hughes, Rough year for Michigan State and Penn State’s scheduling)

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As the second weekend approaches, all Big Ten teams are in action. Michigan State starts its season while the Gophers will have an exhibition game against the NTDP. A couple teams are in one-game series, with Ohio State against Miami, Michigan at Ferris State and Penn State at Mercyhurst. Wisconsin hosts Boston College for a two game set and Michigan State will face Lake Superior State for a pair.

Michigan (1-1) at Ferris State (0-4): Oct. 15 at 7:07 p.m.

The Wolverines resume action at Ferris State. Michigan is 1-1 on the season with a total of seven goals, although it’s too early to know what that means. Freshman Will Lockwood has jumped in already and has a goal and an assist, while Max Shuart leads the team with three points. Both Zach Nagelvoort and Hayden Lavigne have started, and Lavigne has a shutout.

Ferris State is 0-4 on the season, dropping contests to Alabama Huntsville and Western Michigan. Craig Pefley has four points while both Mitch Maloney and Gerald Mayhew have two goals each. Darren Smith has started all four game and has a .904 save percentage.

It’s too early to know if Ferris State will be a better test for Michigan than Union was, but it should show if Lavigne’s success – and the team’s offense – was a fluke or a trend.

Prediction: Series split

Michigan State at Lake Superior State: Oct. 14 at 7:37 p.m.; Oct. 15 at 6:07 p.m.

The Spartans start their season with a series in the Upper Peninsula. Michigan State looks very different this season without its leading scorers and its netminder for the past several years. There are some bright spots in Mason Appleton, last year’s leading freshman scorer, and Jerad Rosburg, who’s back from injury.

Lake Superior is also starting its season this weekend. The Lakers played to a 3-3 tie in their exhibition game against Laurentian. Lake Superior is returning both its goaltenders from last year and its leading scorer. The Lakers finished last year with a 14-22 record, six wins more than the previous season.

The teams met last year for a two-game set, one that ended in a split. The Spartans lost the first game 4-2 before winning 2-0. Like Michigan State, Lake Superior has struggled recently. This weekend will be a test for both teams.

Prediction: Series split

Ohio State (1-0-1) at Miami (1-1): Oct. 15 at 8:05 p.m.

After a successful Ice Breaker Tournament, the Buckeyes resume their annual rivalry with Miami for one game. Ohio State is undefeated on the season after earning a surprising win over Denver last weekend. The Buckeyes have won some big games before, but they’ve struggled with consistency and iffy goaltending. Christian Frey started the first game but then split the second with Matt Tomkins.

Miami is 1-1 after splitting its series at Providence. Miami lost the first game 4-3 and won the second game 2-1. Several players are tied for two points, while freshman Ryan Larkin received both starts in net. He has a .906 save percentage.

Last year Miami swept the home-and-home series but the games were close, with Miami winning 3-2 and 3-1. The Buckeyes are off to a much better start this year than they were last season, though, when it took eight games for Ohio State to win.

Prediction: Miami wins

Penn State (1-1) at Mercyhurst: Oct. 14 at 7:05 p.m.

The Nittany Lions had a good start to their season. While they ended in a split that saw freshman Peyton Jones pulled from the loss, the Nittany Lions proved they can still score, especially against a good defensive team. The underclassmen are leading the offensive charge, and sophomore Andrew Sturtz has three points.

This is the first game of the season for Mercyhurst, which finished with a 17-15-4 record last year. Derek Barach, who scored 32 points last year, is back. Mercyhurst lost their freshman netminder Adam Carlson after he signed a pro contract, but netminder Brandon Wildung has experience in net.

If Penn State can keep up the scoring and play better defensively and in net, they have a good chance of winning.

Prediction: Penn State wins

Wisconsin (1-1) vs. Boston College (1-1): Oct. 14 at 7:07 p.m. CT; Oct. 16 at 3:07 p.m. CT

The Badgers return to the Kohl Center to host Boston College for a two-game series. Wisconsin put up nine goals last weekend, and Corbin McGuire, J.D. Greenway and Seamus Malone all have three points, while McGuire has three goals. But the Badgers also gave up eight goals, and Matt Jurusik has a .837 save percentage.

The Eagles suffered from a lot of roster turnover and dropped their first game of the season to Air Force 2-1. They rebounded with a 3-1 win over Denver and showed promise in net. Senior Austin Cangelosi leads the team with three points while Joe Woll has a .955 save percentage.
Boston College was a good team last year while Wisconsin was not, but BC lost a lot of its roster and the Badgers only got stronger. Even with a much different makeup, the Eagles will still be a challenge for Wisconsin.

Prediction: Series split.

Five Big Ten teams opened play this weekend except for Michigan State. It’s early, but with a 6-3-1 record, the Big Ten already has a better non-conference record than it did at this time last season – and that Ohio State win over Denver could have huge implications come the end of the season.

Ohio State had the most interesting weekend. The Buckeyes first beat Denver – one of the top teams in the country – 3-2 at the Ice Breaker Tournament and then tied Air Force in the championship game. Probably no one expected Ohio State to beat Denver, but it’s even more shocking the Buckeyes limited the Pioneers to two goals. Christian Frey made 33 saves in the win. Against Air Force, Frey and Matt Tomkins split the start. Tomkins made 10 saves while Frey made 15 and allowed three goals.

Minnesota started the season 2-0, defeating both Alaska teams by a good margin. The Gophers’ wins weren’t surprising, as both Alaska and Alaska Anchorage have struggled and are in even more difficulty with the uncertain future of their programs. Minnesota defeated Alaska-Anchorage 6-0 and then beat Alaska 6-3. Jake Bischoff scored twice on Friday, while Tyler Sheehy netted two tallies on Sunday. Goaltender Eric Schierhorn assisted on one of them. It’s early, but Sheehy’s five points leads the team.

The Wolverines split with Union, giving up a 3-2 lead in the third period in a Friday night loss. They rebounded with a 4-0 win that included a pair of goals from James Sanchez. Zach Nagelvoort and Hayden Lavigne split starts.

Penn State also split, defeated St. Lawrence 4-2 and then losing 6-3. The freshman Peyton Jones played well in the win, recording five saves. But he was chased from the cage the next night after allowing three goals on eight shots.

Wisconsin earned a split too. After dropping the first game 3-2 against Northern Michigan, the Badgers won 6-5 in Tony Granato’s first win. Corbin McGuire scored twice, while Trent Frederic scored his first goal. McGuire had three goals on the weekend and Will Johnson had two. Matt Jurusik started both games but wasn’t tested much in the first. He made 25 saves in the win.

(After the jump: Michigan’s net, a promising start for Wisconsin and it’s still early) (more…)

College hockey officially kicks off this weekend for the rest of the nation and it marks the first regular-season games for Big Ten teams. Penn State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin all begin their non-conference competition while Michigan State has the lone bye.

Penn State vs. St. Lawrence: Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.; Oct. 7 at 7: p.m.

The Nittany Lions begin their regular season hosting St. Lawrence. These teams played last year at Pegula, skating to a 2-2 tie on the first night. On the next night, St. Lawrence won 4-2. The Saints were one of the biggest tests the Nittany Lions faced last year, and their defense was one of the only good ones that could stop Penn State’s offense. The Saints are still the same defensive team they were last year but lack some offense. But, St. Lawrence also lost its head coach and skates into the season with Mark Morris at its helm.

Penn State, meanwhile, lost a portion of its offense, defense, leadership group and its goaltenders. The Nittany Lions still have David Goodwin, a player who’s improved each season and led the team in scoring last year. Penn State is looking to improve defensively, but the team’s success depends on its freshmen, especially goaltender Peyton Jones.

Both teams are in interesting situations. For St. Lawrence, it’s adapting to a new head coach. For Penn State, it’s creating a cohesive group with a lot of new faces. The Saints’ defense and goaltending is hard to beat, though.

Prediction: St. Lawrence sweeps

Wisconsin vs. Northern Michigan: Oct. 7 at 7:07 p.m. CT, Oct. 8 at 7:07 p.m. CT

A new era of Badger hockey begins this weekend as the Badgers host Northern Michigan. The Wildcats and Badgers also played at the beginning of last season, with teams playing to a pair of low-scoring ties. Wisconsin won eight games last year while Northern Michigan won 15.

Both teams destroyed their opponents in exhibition games. The Wildcats won 10-1 against Victoria while the Badgers beat the same team by the same score. Wisconsin has its leading scorers returning in Grant Besse and Luke Kunin. The offensive talent is there, but the team needs to use it and needs to play better defensively. Northern Michigan lost its leading scorer but returns Dominick Shine, who had a career-high 30 points last season. The Wildcats also have goaltender Atte Tolvanen, who had a .929 save percentage last year.

It’s an early test to see if the Badgers can play a different style of hockey cohesively, but if the exhibition game is any indication, Wisconsin is already using its talent better than in seasons past.

Prediction: Wisconsin sweeps

Michigan vs. Union: Oct. 7 at 7:35 p.m., Oct. 8 at 7:35 p.m.

The Wolverines take the ice against Union to open their season. The Dutchmen, after winning the NCAA tournament three years ago, have struggled ever since. But this won’t be an easy test for the Wolverines, who lost the offensive power they used to win with. The teams played last year and the game ended in a 5-5 tie, illustrating Michigan’s lack of defense.

Michigan’s leading returning scorer is Alex Kile, but the team will also be without promising sophomore Cooper Marody. The Wolverines still have the same defensive and goaltending troubles in the past, so they might not be able to win a shootout against the Dutchmen. Union hasn’t been as offensively strong lately, but their leading scorer from last season, Mike Vecchione, is still with the team.

Since Michigan can’t outscore its opponents anymore, the key will be defense.

Prediction: Series split

Minnesota vs Alaska Fairbanks: Oct. 7 at 7:07 p.m. AT; at Alaska at 4:30 p.m. AT

After not playing any exhibition games, Minnesota opens its season with a trip to Alaska. The Gophers have only played Alaska Fairbanks four times and last played Alaska Anchorage in 2011-12.

The Gophers had some offseason losses but retained a good portion of its roster. In net they still have Alaska native Eric Schierhorn who could be better this year but turned in some good performances for the Gophers last season. Minnesota has retained captain and leading scorer Justin Kloos, who has 107 points in his three-year career.

This is a tumultuous time for Alaska hockey, as a budget crisis in the state has led to budget cuts at both schools, leaving the future of both hockey programs is a question mark. The Nanooks’ lost their top three leading scorers but return Marcus Basara, who posted 18 points last year. The Seawolves have Matt Anholt, who recorded 22 points last season.

Last season it took Minnesota a few non-conference games to start winning, but with most of the team returning it should be easier for the Gophers to adjust this year.

Prediction: Minnesota sweeps

Ohio State vs. Denver at 7:35 p.m. CT; vs. Air Force/Boston College at TBA (Ice Breaker Invitational)

The Buckeyes begin their season with the biggest test out of all Big Ten teams. Denver, a Frozen Four member last year, is one of the top teams in college hockey this season. The Pioneers lost some key players but have skaters like Dylan Gambrell and still have goaltender Danny Jaillet. The Buckeyes have struggled for the past few seasons but have some of their scoring back and added a few good freshmen.

Ohio State will either face Air Force or Boston College afterward. Air Force finished high in Atlantic Hockey last year but failed to make the NCAA tournament. Boston College did, and made a Frozen Four appearance, but lost much of its roster to graduation and early departures.

It’s a tough test for the Buckeyes to start the season, and they might not be ready to handle them.

Prediction: Ohio State loses both games

The final weekend in Big Ten play has concluded, and the tournament brackets have been set. On Thursday, Penn State will play Wisconsin and Ohio State will play Michigan State. The winner of Penn State-Wisconsin will face Michigan and the other winner will play Minnesota.

Ohio State beat Michigan State 6-5 and then tied 101. The Gophers lost 4-3 to Wisconsin before winning 4-1.

Michigan needed to win to beat out Penn State for the second seed, and they finished with weekend with a statement sweep. The Wolverines won 7-1 and 6-1 over Penn State. The sweep puts the Wolverines in a better position to win the Big Ten, although they don’t need to win to make the NCAA tournament.

Every other team has to win to make the NCAA tournament. Since Minnesota has the bye, they have the best chance at getting the automatic bid. The only way for the Gophers to make the tournament is through that championship.

(After the jump: Déjà vu, can there be an upset and watch out for Ohio State)

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