While the NHL playoffs are still a few months away, the college hockey season has picked up the pace with league tournaments starting in the upcoming weeks. In a way, the tournament season has already begun after the conclusion of the annual “Beanpot” in Boston on February 12th. Northeastern’s upset win over No. 3 Boston University for the title has summed up this season around the NCAA: anybody can defeat anyone on any given night. These results have shown up in conferences like the Big Ten, too. Certain teams have flown up the standings and rankings, while others have disappointed this season. With only two weeks of regular season to play before the conference tournament begins, a decisive winner cannot be easily chosen compared to previous years.
All teams have shifted up and down the Big Ten standings this season compared to previous seasons. For instance, the top two teams in the conference didn’t qualify for the NCAA tournament last season. However, second-year Spartan head coach Adam Nightingale and first-year Badger head coach Mike Hastings have flipped former last-place teams into possible title contenders in the Big Ten and NCAA.
Nightingale’s past experiences with the United States National Team Development Program (US-NTDP) helped Michigan State acquire some high-end NHL prospects. For example, 2023 Detroit Red Wings second-round pick Trey Augustine and 2022 Tampa Bay Lightning first-round pick Isaac Howard have propelled the Spartans’ goaltending and offense. Also, the addition of projected top-five 2024 NHL draft pick Artyom Levshunov has given Michigan State a true number-one defenseman who can provide offensively, too. Howard and Levshunov’s offensive power has propelled the Spartans to second in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging almost four goals per game.
While the offense has strengthened Michigan State’s team, Wisconsin has taken the opposite approach under former Minnesota State head coach Mike Hastings. In just one year, the Badgers have gone from allowing almost 3.50 GAA to 1.94 GAA, almost half of what they allowed last year. Their aggressive on-the-puck mentality has given teams a challenge every night. This is another reason why they are second in the nation and first in the Big Ten during the penalty kill at roughly 88%. Also, their offense has scored around 3.28 goals per game, led by 2022 Carolina Hurricanes fourth-round pick Cruz Lucius. Despite the two different approaches, both teams have succeeded in the conference and nation.
With the resurgence of the Spartans and Badgers, the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Michigan Wolverines have taken a step back in the standings. Minnesota has still had a relatively solid year being ranked ninth in the pairwise rankings. However, high expectations coming off their national championship appearance last year have been set for this team. It’s tough to replace key contributors like Logan Cooley (ARI), Matthew Knies (TOR), and Brock Faber (MIN) immediately, but some players have stepped up to the challenge. Graduate forward Bryce Brodzinski has produced 28 points (13 G, 15 A) through 32 games, and junior forward Rhett Pitlick is at a point-per-game rate with 32 points (17 G, 15 A) throughout the season. Returning sophomore Jimmy Snuggerud has contributed 31 points (19 G, 12 A), too. Plus, Chicago Blackhawk draft picks forward Oliver Moore and defenseman Sam Rinzel have bolstered the Gopher offense as freshmen. If the Gophers want to reach the national championship again, their defense and goaltending will be key factors. While the Gophers are a top-10 team in the nation in GAA at 2.47, it hasn’t been consistent this year. Graduate goaltender Justen Close single-handedly has won the Gophers some games recently because of defensive struggles, sometimes making 40 or more saves in doing so. Other than seniors Mike Koster and Carl Fish, every Gopher defenseman is a freshman or sophomore. Will this lack of experience catch up with them when it matters most? Only time will tell.
On the other hand, the reigning Big Ten tournament champion Michigan Wolverines have had a roller coaster of a season. Key injuries have impacted their play at points this season, including losing Rutger McGroarty, Winnipeg Jets 2022 first-round pick, for a while during the first half of the season. Their second-half play has been better because of their high-flying offense. The top six players in conference points all play for the Wolverines, highlighted by 2023 Columbus Blue Jacket second-round pick Gavin Brindley, Rutger McGroarty, 2022 Chicago Blackhawk first-round pick Frank Nazar, and others. While the offense has been solid recently, the goaltending and defense will determine how this team does come tournament time, as they rank 36th in the country allowing 3.03 goals a game. This has been another reason why Michigan is in danger of missing the NCAA tournament, as they rank 16th in the current pairwise rankings. Yet, this team shouldn’t be taken lightly when it matters down the stretch.
Minimal attention has been given to the other three teams in the Big Ten: Notre Dame, Penn State, and Ohio State. The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes have gone from tournaments to bottom feeders in just a year. Yet, they have had some recent success in conference play. Penn State forced a split against Michigan this past weekend while the Buckeyes upset Wisconsin in a sweep at home. Notre Dame has been consistently in the middle of the pack this season, currently ranking fourth in conference play. If they want any chance at the NCAA tournament, a Big Ten conference tournament championship would be their only realistic chance unless major changes occur in the following weeks. Nevertheless, anything can happen in the conference playoffs, especially in single-elimination games.
With Minnesota on their bye week, the other six teams square off this weekend. Matchups over Friday and Saturday include Wisconsin visiting Penn State, Ohio State traveling to Michigan State, and Notre Dame battling at Michigan. Moving forward, it’s tough to predict who will earn some tournament hardware because of the ups and downs this season has brought us. As of right now, three Big Ten teams would qualify for the NCAA tournament: Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Teams like Michigan and Notre Dame still have a chance but need to play better and get some help. Unfortunately, Penn State and Ohio State might have to wait until next year for a chance, pending any crazy outcomes over the next month. The uncertainty around the Big Ten and college hockey, as a whole, is shaping up to be an intriguing process for who comes out on top this year.
