It was another week and another sweep for the Buckeyes. Canisius was more problematic than Niagara but there were still a lot more positives in the series than negatives. Let’s recap.
What Went Wrong
Not much: Again, there wasn’t much to fuss about. Two of the bigger issues would be the 0-7 power play and that Saturday’s game was closer than it should have been. Ohio State seemed to let off the gas a little after their second goal allowing Canisius to seize the momentum. The Buckeyes fought off the attempted comeback, but the lapse could easily have cost them the win. The ability to close out games will be crucial as the team gets into their Big Ten schedule. The B1G is chock full of skilled teams who will take full advantage of opportunities like OSU gave Canisius.
“We hung in there and we did the job. Good teams find a way to win.” Steve Rohlik following Saturday’s win
What Went Right
Goaltending: So, who had Logan Davis in the “first OSU goalie to earn a shutout this season” pool? Canisius tested him more than Niagara did, but Davis held the fort. There isn’t much of anything in his game to complain about other than maybe his penchant for leaving the crease to play the puck. There have been a couple dodgy moments in that regard. All in all, though, Davis is doing his job well.
Defense: Ohio State’s defensive effort also continues to be good. The Buckeyes were credited with 42 blocked shots in this series. Al McLean alone recorded eight blocks, four in each game. The penalty killers completely shut down what had been a very good Canisius power play. A couple of blue liners chipped in offensively too. Justin DaSilva picked up his third goal of the season on Friday and Josh Healey scored his first collegiate goal on Saturday.
Offense: Since Tanner Fritz’ return to the lineup four games ago he and linemates Max McCormick and Alex Szczechura have racked up a stat line of 6-14--20. Let that sink in, an average of five points per game. In that same span of games Ryan Dzingel has tallied six goals and an assist. This weekend he skated on a line with Nick Oddo and Nick Schilkey. I like this line together. I also think Oddo will be the key to their success if Rohlik keeps the line intact. He won’t necessarily have flashy stats but he’ll do the grunt work that will free up Dzingel and Schilkey.
“Overall we were pretty solid, but there’s always ways to get better. As soon as you get satisfied, you’re in trouble. We’re not going to be satisfied.” Rohlik following Saturday’s win.
What Now?
The Buckeyes have a bye this week. Next week they’ll make their first foray into Big Ten play with a home-and-home series against No. 5 Michigan. That Friday’s game will be in Ann Arbor and is scheduled to air live on BTN. The second half of the series will be played in Columbus the following Monday (Dec 2). With the holidays approaching and no need for a preview this week, Friday looks like an excellent day for the sharing of Buckeye carols.
In case you missed anything, here are all the relevant links from the series...
- Ohio State's official recaps, including boxscores, highlights, and postgame press conferences, can be found here and here.
- Check out recaps from Erika Hadley of USCHO (Friday) and Daniel Fyffe of The Lantern (series) as well as Rachel Lewis' photo gallery at Inside Hockey which includes shots of the emergency goaltending Aarons, Kahn and Gretz (Saturday).
Short Shifts
Buckeye Men
- OSU's recent success has turned a few heads. The team hasn't cracked the rankings, but they're the first non-ranked team receiving votes in USCHO's poll. They've also caught the eye of USCHO's Jim Connelly and Todd Milewski.
- Thanks to his efforts against Canisius, Logan Davis is the Big Ten's third star of the week!
Buckeye Women
The ladies were swept by Minnesota-Duluth last weekend. They actually looked pretty good on Friday and nearly came all the way back from an 0-3 deficit. Ultimately, though, they weren't able to overcome first period mistakes and strong goaltending by the Bulldogs' Kayla Black. OSU's Katie Matheny scored her first collegiate goal and Sara Schmitt added a goal to her team leading point total. I thought Becky Allis has a great game despite not making the score sheet. Saturday's game was a dud, but Lisa Steffes played well in net for the Buckeyes. Check out OSU's recaps and postgame press conferences from Friday and Saturday. The Buckeyes hit the road this weekend for a series at Minnesota State.
- The No. 1 Minnesota women finally lost! They dropped a 3-2 game to No. ** North Dakota on Sunday to end their insane winning streak at 62.
Future Nuts
- Buckeye commits Nicholas Jones, Janik Moeser and Luke Stork all earned "C" ratings in Central Scouting's latest release. This means they're projected to be late round picks in next summer's NHL draft.
- Speaking of Stork, a goal of his was one of the USHL's top plays week before last. (Sorry for the delay, it fell between posts.)
Nuts Abroad
- Tyson Strachan was recalled by the Washington Capitals.
- Milestone alert: Ryan Kesler played his 600th game for the Canucks.
- RJ Umberger helps the Blue Jackets to a win.
- In a rather shocking move, Tessa Bonhomme was cut from Team Canada.
- DJ Bean takes a look at Matt Bartkowski's chances of sticking in the Bruins' line up. Meanwhile Bartkowski and Torey Krug advise the lovelorn.
- John Albert is featured in this week's Ask an IceCap:
