Conference play is back in action for just four teams this weekend. The Gophers, Nittany Lions, Spartans and Wolverines are playing this weekend while Wisconsin and Ohio State take a break.

Minnesota and Penn State will play while Michigan and Michigan will face each other. These are two series that have already happened earlier this season. The Wolverines dismantled the Spartans, while the Gophers and Nittany Lions split.

While Michigan and Michigan State are far apart in the standings, Minnesota and Penn State are separated by just six points. And remember, because of shootouts there are three points up for grabs in each Big Ten game. Three points are awarded for a regulation/OT win, two for a shootout win and one for a shootout loss. (more…)

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) (more…)

This weekend features a mix of in-conference and out-of-conference series. Michigan plays Penn State and Ohio State faces Michigan State in the two Big Ten series, while Wisconsin hosts Alaska and the Gophers play in the North Star College Cup. The out-of-conference series are pretty big for Big Ten teams in the pairwise, since they struggled earlier in non-conference play.

Michigan against Penn State will probably be the most exciting series, with two powerful offenses facing off. This weekend will also be a huge test for the Gophers, who haven’t faced much of a test recently – especially out of conference.

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Another week in the Big Ten produced some surprises. Actually, the only series I thought was surprising was Wisconsin-Minnesota. but I’ll get to that later. The Gophers swept the Badgers by a combined score of 13-2. After shutting out Wisconsin on the first night, Minnesota won 9-2 the second night.

The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions split their series. Penn Statewon 3-2 on Friday before Ohio State won 5-1 on Saturday. Michigan and Michigan State both had exhibitions games against the NTDP. Michigan won 5-2, while Michigan State won 3-2.

Michigan is still the highest Big Ten team in the PairWise at No. 6. The Gophers are 15th while Penn State is 16th. After the losses, Wisconsin stands at 44. Next weekend features another little break in some Big Ten play, as the Gophers get their last non-conference tests in the North Star College Cup.

(After the jump: What’s wrong with Wisconsin, the truth about Penn State and limiting dangerous hits) (more…)

This weekend features just two Big Ten series, as the Wolverines and Spartans take the weekend off for exhibition games against the NTDP. The Badgers host the Gophers in the border battle, while Penn State travels to Ohio State. This is the last Big Ten matchup for Minnesota until February, as the Gophers take a break from conference play for the North Star College Cup.

Entering the weekend, Minnesota and Michigan are tied for first place. Penn State is third, Ohio State and Wisconsin are tied for fourth and Michigan State is last.

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There were a couple surprises during Big Ten play last weekend, or at least in the Minnesota-Michigan State series. The Spartans played the Gophers closely, losing 5-2 and 3-1. The Badgers and Nittany Lions battled to overtime on Friday before Penn State won 4-1 on Saturday.

Michigan against Ohio State ended exactly the way you would expect a game between two teams with minimal defense to go. They combined for 24 goals over the weekend, ending in a 5-5 tie before Michigan won 8-6. Tyler Motte had a hat trick on Sunday, while Kyle Connor added a couple of goals. Steve Racine and Matt Tomkins started both games.

I can’t say Michigan-Ohio State or Wisconsin-Penn State were surprising series, but I wasn’t expecting the Spartans to play well against the Gophers. Having Jake Hildebrand in net helps, though.

After this weekend’s play, it’s getting harder to separate the “elite” teams in the Big Ten from everyone else. Most of the games and series have been close so far, and I highly doubt anyone expected either Ohio State or Wisconsin to be hanging in games against Michigan.

The Wolverines are seventh in the PairWise, although they still haven’t faced a difficult schedule. Penn State is 15 and Minnesota 16, while Michigan State is 55.

(After the jump: No gaps in the Big Ten, the top line, expecting more from Wisconsin)  (more…)

This weekend features the big Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, Michigan State vs. Minnesota and Penn State against Wisconsin. At first glance, none of the matchups seem too competitive. But the first and last are certainly intriguing, as Ohio State is playing well lately and the Badgers can score.

There might be some intersecting results from those two matchups, and sweeping Ohio State or Wisconsin won’t be easy – especially since it’s still tough to tell how Michigan and Penn State really stack up against other teams.

I doubt Michigan State-Minnesota will be much of a matchup, unless the Spartans have shored up their defense. The Gophers may not look like their 2014 counterparts, but they’re still at the top of the Big Ten.

At the moment, Michigan is first in the Big Ten. Minnesota is second, Penn State third, Wisconsin fourth, Ohio State fifth and Michigan State last. And since this topic came up on Twitter, I wanted to look at strength of schedule (per CHN’s KRACH) of each Big Ten team. Here’s how they rank:

Michigan: 31
Minnesota: 8
Wisconsin: 30
Michigan State: 26
Ohio State: 24
Penn State: 44

It’s just something to keep in mind.

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The weekend of Big Ten action featured a sweeps, a series split and a win/loss and a tie. Michigan swept Michigan State, Ohio State defeated and tied Wisconsin while Penn State split with Minnesota.Michigan scored 15 goals over the weekend, defeating the Spartans by a combined score of 15-5. Penn State defeated Minnesota 3-2 in overtime on Friday night, while Minnesota won 7-1. The Buckeyes beat the Badgers 2-0 before settling for a 4-4 tie the next night.

The most interesting series of the weekend were Penn State-Minnesota and Ohio State-Wisconsin. I’m not surprised the Gophers and Nittany Lions split, although I am surprised that Minnesota limited Penn State to four goals in two games … and scored seven of its own in one game.

As far as the Badgers and Buckeyes are concerned, the Buckeyes have the edge – for now. The results say that Ohio State, which has played well against most teams all season, is definitely a better team than Wisconsin. But where can the Buckeyes finish?

We learned some things from conference play, but it’s hard to tell if these impressions will hold as the season progresses.

(After the jump: Michigan State’s fate, a defensive test and the surprise team)

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After a week filled with holiday tournaments, the Big Ten is back to conference play. This means all teams are in action, featuring some interesting matchups and in-state rivalries. Probably the best matchup will be Wisconsin and Ohio State, so we can finally see which team belongs in the Big Ten basement. Penn State against Minnesota could also be interesting.

The Michigan-Michigan State series, probably not so much. While the Wolverines and Spartans haven’t met yet this season, Michigan State really hasn’t been playing well and the defense has struggled, meaning it’s doubtful the Spartans can contain the Wolverines.

But before conference play resumes, here’s a breakdown of the Big Ten conference standings:

1. Minnesota (9 points)
2. Michigan (8 points)
3. Penn State (6 points)
4. Wisconsin (4 points)
5. Michigan State (3 points)
6. Ohio State (0 points)

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After a very brief winter break, college hockey resumed this week with a bunch of tournaments and some non-conference matchups. It also brought some surprises from the break, including an Ohio State championship at the Florida College Classic and some much-needed out-of-conference success.

The Buckeyes stunned everyone by taking down Boston College in the first round of the Florida College Classic. Ohio State followed with a win over Cornell, becoming the first Big Ten team to win a trophy this season.

But the Wolverines followed just one day later with a trophy of their own, winning the Great Lakes Invitational. At the tournament, Michigan defeated Northern Michigan 3-2 and then Michigan Tech 4-2 in the championship game. The Spartans, who also participated in the GLI, lost first to Michigan 3-2 in overtime and then 2-1 to Northern Michigan in overtime.

Penn State continued its in-state rivalry with Robert Morris at the Three Rivers Classic, but dropped the opening-round matchup to the Colonials 6-4, Penn State’s first loss since Oct. 30 against St. Lawrence. The Nittany Lions rebounded with a 5-1 over Clarkson.

The Gophers also failed to come away with a championship, losing in the championship round of their own Mariucci Classic. After defeating UConn 3-2 on Friday, the Gophers dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to Harvard. The Crimson accrued a 2-0 lead before the Gophers scored three straight, but Kyle Criscuolo tied it with 34 seconds left. He also scored the game-winning goal.

(After the jump: Nothing makes sense anymore, holiday tournaments are good, goaltending could lead Michigan to big things.)

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