MADISON – Mike Hastings rode the wave of cautious optimism.
Since snapping the six-game skid that dropped the Wisconsin men’s hockey team out of Big Ten title contention for good, UW has gone 6-2 with a 3-1 record over ranked opponents.
You’ll find no team in the Big Ten with a record that is better overall or is better against ranked opponents during that stretch but …
“You’re only as good as your last shift in hockey,” Hastings warned. “So, it doesn’t guarantee anything.”
That is especially the case now.
The Big Ten Tournament begins Wednesday, March 11, and Wisconsin, which is tied for the No. 10 ranking nationally in the USCHO poll, hosts Ohio State at the Kohl Center in a matchup of the Big Ten’s fourth- and fifth-place finishers. The puck drops at 7 p.m.
The contest marks just the second time in the brief history of the Big Ten Tournament that Wisconsin will host a game and it comes against an opponent who over the years has been tough for the Badgers to crack.
Ohio State (12-20-2) defeated the Badgers in the quarterfinals of the past two tournaments. This season the teams split four games with each squad winning a blowout and scoring a win decided by a couple of plays.
Wisconsin (21-11-2) hasn’t advanced out of the quarterfinal round since 2021.
“It’s playoff hockey, so we expect it to be a tight battle no matter what,” Wisconsin sophomore Gavin Morrissey said. “With them, they’re a team that’s going to compete, going to play hard defensively. I think we’re expecting a tough battle and we’ll be prepared for it.”
New format in place for Big Ten Tournament
Wisconsin must be prepared to win or stay home.
This year marks the start of a new format for the conference tournament that features single-elimination games played at campus sites spread over two weekends. Following the quarterfinals Wednesday, the semifinals will be played Saturday and the championship March 21. The higher-seed team will host.
Previously the quarterfinals were best-of-three series at the home of the higher seed followed by single-elimination semifinals the following week and the championship the week after that. The higher-seeded team hosted those games, too.
The move, like most involving conference tournaments, aims to enhance the Big Ten’s chance of getting as many teams into the NCAA Tournament as possible.
“It’s something where we’re trying to do a couple of things,” Hastings explained. “We’re trying to protect the highest seed, trying to protect our conference as far as trying to have at least four teams in the NCAA Tournament and not grind some teams down at the most important time of the year. Also not having somebody that’s your top seed off for an extended period.”
The single-elimination format increases the prospect of upsets that alter the bracket. Assuming the top seeds win, Wisconsin would face No. 1 seed Michigan State in the semifinals Saturday in East Lansing, Mich.
Ohio State has been tough out for Badgers
Of course, there is no guarantee Wisconsin escapes Ohio State. The Buckeyes have upset Bucky before.
Two years ago, Ohio State beat the No. 2 seed Badgers in three games. Last year the Buckeyes, as the No. 3 seed, scored two one-goal wins to advance after losing Game 1 in Columbus.
And in the teams’ last meeting, a third period steal in the UW zone led to the game-winning goal by Ohio State junior Ryan Gordon at the 9-minute mark on Feb. 14. The Buckeyes also almost stole a victory when they scored three third period goals to force overtime Nov. 15, but Morrissey restored order with a game-winner 99 seconds into the extra period.
Wisconsin finished that series with sophomore Eli Pulver in goal with freshman Daniel Hauser sidelined due to injury. Hauser returned to the lineup for the sweep of then-No. 6 Penn State last week in University Park, Pa., anchoring a defensive effort that held the Nittany Lions’ explosive lineup to an average of 2 1/2 goals in two games while killing two major penalties.
The Badgers were better in the D-zone down the stretch
UW was in the process of cleaning up holes in its defense when it met the Buckeyes last month. The Badgers are in a better place now.
“We’ve worked a lot on especially little things that Coach has been preaching,” Morrissey said. “There were times when we got away from that, and that’s where we struggled. But getting back to those details and buying in as a group, not just one individual guy, but as a group of five defensively, I think that’s what helped us out a lot.”
The good news for Wisconsin is that win or lose, it appears to be in good shape for its second NCAA Tournament berth in Hastings’ three seasons.
The Badgers are solidly at No. 12 in the NCAA Percentage Index, which would put them in the 16-team field after the six automatic berths are placed in the field. Finally getting past the Buckeyes in the postseason would further improve UW’s standing.
“I think we’re just a better team this year, so I think there’s that,” Morrissey said when asked why this year could be different. “But I think the commitment level of this group is more than 100%. Everyone has really bought in and I expect us to be really well prepared for this playoff series or game.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin enters Big Ten hockey tournament as league’s hottest team
