Buckeyes Open B1G at No. 11/9 Minnesota

Good afternoon, hockey fans. The day we’ve been (im)patiently awaiting is finally here. The Buckeye men kick off their Big Ten campaign tonight against Minnesota. If you’re just joining us diehard puckheads this season you probably have some questions. Let’s see if we can’t answer some of them.  

First of all, how are the Buckeyes doing?

Ohio State is pretty much the team we thought they'd be this season - deep and proficient enough at scoring that you almost don't notice they're only adequate on defense.

The Buckeyes flew through the first two months of the season, accumulating an 8-1-4 record. They upset No. 2 Denver in their opener. Then they edged some middling teams, lit up a few struggling squads, and enter Big Ten play at No. 10 in the USCHO poll and No. 11 in the USA Today/USA Hockey poll.

The Bucks boast the NCAA’s second best offense. They average a ridonkulous 4.38 goals per game. Senior captain Nick Schilkey leads the team with 12 goals. Rookie sensation Tanner Laczynski tops the points chart with a 5-13--18 line.

Schilkey and Laczynski are blazing one heck of a path and their teammates are charging along behind. Fourteen different Buckeyes have scored at least one goal. Eight players already achieved a double digit point total. Every skater on the roster has recorded a point.

The challenge for OSU is, as expected, on defense. The Bucks have been sufficient though unimpressive against mostly mediocre competition. The team is progressing in its own end but has yet to display the consistent quality of a serious contender.

How are the Buckeyes going to fare in the Big Ten?  

I think Ohio State is going to experience a few growing pains at the outset of Big Ten play. In a weird quirk of scheduling the Bucks’ first three B1G series are against their two most challenging conference foes. Four of those six games are on the road.

But I also expect the team to be in the mix for second place by the end of the season. And I’m not the only one. Minnesota head coach Don Lucia won’t be surprised to see the Buckeyes near the top of the standings at year’s end. He told USCHO last week:  

“I knew if Ohio State could stay healthy, they’d be good. They have a good, veteran team. That’s why I voted them number one in our poll.”

Speaking of Minnesota, what are the Bucks' chances against the Gophers?

I think a split is both a possible and satisfactory outcome. Ohio State has an offensive edge. However the Buckeye defenders have their work cut out for them this week, playing on the Olympic-sized sheet.

The No. 11/9 Gophers were the overwhelming preseason favorite to capture another regular season conference title. They’ve done little in the last two months to alter that prediction. (Although a loss to Northeastern does not exactly improve one’s resume.)

The reigning Big Ten champs return five of their top six scorers. They also bring back 2015-16 B1G Goalie of the Year Eric Schierhorn. One time Ohio State commit Tyler Sheehy (5-10--15) leads the Gophers in overall points.

The No. 1 most important thing for the Buckeyes this week is to stay out of the penalty box. OSU has a horrendous penalty kill rate. Minnesota ices one of the NCAA’s most effective power plays. And the Gophers are at home with an additional 15 feet in which to operate.

How does the rest of the Big Ten stack up?

The Big Ten is 42-22-9 in non-conference games this season. Its .637 winning percentage is tops in all of college hockey and a vast improvement over its previous efforts. The conference has an excellent shot at sending multiple teams to the NCAA tournament.

Minnesota is far and away the top choice for first place. However, if the Gophers don’t play up to their potential, this could be the year they finally get dethroned. The Buckeyes should be lurking around the top of the standings this season. Penn State is also a strong candidate to earn a first round conference tournament bye.  

Like Ohio State, PSU (11-1-1) spent much of the first two months of the season beating struggling teams, though the squad did earn a little street cred by taking down No. 3 Notre Dame. The Nittany Lions posted some outstanding scores and are presently first in the nation in offense, scoring an average of 4.77 goals per game.

PSU’s non-conference success has already translated to Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions started their conference slate last night by destroying No. 20 Michigan, 6-1. Five different guys scored and 11 players had points in the win. 

Penn State is the most obvious road block to a first round Buckeye bye but it isn’t the only one. Michigan (6-5-1) and Wisconsin (7-5-0) had modest out-of-league success against more difficult competition. These teams also boast top-10 upsets. Of the two, I think Wisconsin is a bit more dangerous. The Badgers remind me of last season’s never-say-die Buckeye team. 

Even Michigan State (4-6-1), widely expected to inhabit the Big Ten's cellar, has a quality win on its resume, a 4-3 victory over No. 5 North Dakota. I don't think the Spartans are about to flip the script and challenge for a top spot but their non-conference achievements speak to an overall uptick in the quality of B1G hockey where there are no nights off and every point is critical. 

What’s going on with the women’s hockey Buckeyes this week?

The Buckeye women (7-8-1) welcome No. 9 North Dakota (7-5-4) to the OSU Ice Rink. Ohio State is coming off a bye week and looking to recapture some of its early season success vs. ranked opponents. Goaltending is likely to be the story of the series. Both OSU’s Kassidy Sauve (1.84/.948) and UND’s Lexie Shaw (1.44/.939) are top notch netminders and neither team is especially prolific in the scoring department.

Games are set for 6pm ET tonight and 3pm ET on Saturday. Fans attending the series should take note of yet another parking alert (this one due to the OHSAA State Football Championship) requiring them to park on the north side of St. John Arena.