Hello again, hockey fans. Welcome to your weekly puck preview. While the women’s hockey Bucks endure a bye week, the men’s team squares off in a home series against No. 7 Minnesota.
| Game Info | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Faceoff | 6:30 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. |
| Television | BTN | BTN |
| Radio | 1460 AM | 1460 AM |
| Online Video | BTN2Go ($) | BTN2GO ($) |
About the Bucks
The Buckeyes are coming off a disappointing series against Penn State. The Scarlet and Gray were less than a second from victory last Friday but they faltered at, literally, the last second. A buzzer beater propelled the Nittany Lions to a tie and shootout win over the Bucks. PSU was in total command on Saturday, shutting Ohio State out 4-0.
Following the shutout head coach Steve Rohlik was candid in saying the Bucks “just didn't have it." Bad games do happen to almost every team at some point during the season. But bad games seem to happen to the Bucks in Columbus with troubling frequency. The Scarlet and Gray are only 1-3-3 in the Schott this season. They own a 7-1-1 road record against - Notre Dame aside - no less challenging competition than they have faced at home.
"Our whole focus is getting better and it started on Monday." - @SteveRohlik
— Ohio State M Hockey (@OhioState_MHKY) December 6, 2017
Buckeyes host Gophers Friday and Saturday. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/GNSH5lXupt
Ohio State has ten home games left. Eight of those are Big Ten tilts, including this week's series against Minnesota. The Bucks have to find a way to defend home ice or they are going to be a non-factor in the B1G, let alone the postseason.
This series will be the last action for the Bucks before the holiday break. They are off for two weeks and return to the ice December 29-30 to host No. 20 Niagara.
Gopher Notes
No. 7 Minnesota was picked to repeat as Big Ten champs for the fifth consecutive year. That prediction is not looking as solid now, though, as it did in the preseason. The Gophers are not dominating the conference as they have in years past. Instead they are mired in the pack of teams chasing Notre Dame.
| Team Stats | Minnesota | Ohio State |
|---|---|---|
| Records | 10-7-1, 4-5-1-1 B1G | 8-4-4, 3-4-1-0 B1G |
| National Polls | No. 7 / No. 7 | No. 13 / No. 15 |
| Avg. Goals For / Against | 2.83 / 2.50 | 2.69 / 2.25 |
| Power Play / Penalty Kill | 16.9% / 81.3% | 15.2% / 91.5% |
| Points Leader | Rem Pitlick (19) | Tanner Laczynski (20) |
| Top Goaltender | Eric Schierhorn (2.49/.911) | Sean Romeo (2.06/.920) |
Some of those struggles are likely due to Minnesota’s difficult schedule. All but four of the Gophers’ 18 games have been contested against teams ranked in the top 16 in the national polls. The Gophers split a pair of one-goal games with No. 12 Wisconsin last week. Prior to that they were swept by the fourth ranked Fighting Irish.
| Big Ten Standings | Gms | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| No. 4 Notre Dame | 8 | 24 |
| No. 18 Penn State | 10 | 15 |
| No. 7 Minnesota | 10 | 14 |
| No. 12 Wisconsin | 8 | 13 |
| No. 13/15 Ohio State | 8 | 10 |
| RV Michigan | 8 | 9 |
| Michigan State | 8 | 5 |
Another factor is the team’s mass exodus of major contributors. Minnesota’s offense lost seniors Taylor Cammarata, Justin Kloos, Vinni Lettieri, and Connor Reilly. Senior Jake Bischoff and early departure Ryan Collins (who signed with the Blue Jackets) left big gaps in the defense. These six players represent 472 combined career points as well as a wealth of veteran leadership.
Despite such significant losses the Gophers remain dangerous. They retain 50+ point scorer Tyler Sheehy along with 30+ pointers Leon Bristedt and Rem Pitlick. The team also added some highly regarded freshmen. The rookie group is headlined by first round NHL draft pick Casey Mittelstadt (Buffalo Sabres, eighth overall). Mittelstadt and Gopher defenseman Ryan Lindgren will be back in Columbus next week for Team USA’s World Juniors camp.
Crystal Ball Time
It’s not outside the realm of possibility for this series to end in a sweep for either team. As bad as the Bucks have been at home, Minnesota, for all its talent, has been even worse on the road (1-5-1). Still, after last week’s results, I feel like a split in this series would be a huge win for the Buckeyes.
