The Wisconsin men’s hockey team closes out its eight game home stretch this weekend with an in-conference series against the Michigan State Spartans, serving as Wisconsin’s second to last series in Kohl Center this season.
The Badgers (6-13-7, 1-8-3 Big Ten) are bouncing back from two tough losses against No. 6 ranked Michigan. The games finished at 4-1 and 4-4, the second with an overtime shootout. Wisconsin still sits in last place in the Big Ten, seven points behind Michigan State, and the Spartans are the only Big Ten team the Badgers have beaten.
A win this weekend is crucial for Wisconsin if they hope to escape finishing last in conference for the second straight season.
The Spartans (7-20-3, 3-10-1 Big Ten) enter the Kohl Center after a similar two-game home stretch with No. 16 ranked Penn State, losing 6-1 and tying 2-2 in an overtime shootout. But Michigan State is still only two points behind Ohio State in the Big Ten and looks to put the proverbial nail in Wisconsin’s season with two wins.
The series will be the second meeting between the two programs this season after a one-game split in early December. The Spartans edged out the Badgers in the first game 4-3, while the Badgers came back strong with an impressive 3-0 victory in the second.
Both teams can use this series as a step in the right direction and as an opportunity to finish the season on a high note. Expect a low scoring affair but a lot of physicality between the two squads.
Michigan State University and University of Wisconsin have a long-standing rivalry and are meeting at a desperate time in both of their seasons. The winner will ultimately come down to who will score first and hold off an unrelenting attack from the other.
Wisconsin keys to victory:
The Badgers need to stick to their gameplan to pull some points out of this series.
Wisconsin has been steadily improving over the last few weeks, but has been unable to remain consistent.
Two wins over Alaska and a tie against Michigan are promising, but head coach Mike Eaves expects success from his young players, who started out inexperienced but are now more seasoned. This series will be a strong indicator of where the team will go next season.
Part of the Badgers return to success has been their offensive aggressiveness. Their front line has improved, but there are few positive improvements on the scoreboard due to their inability to finish good opportunities. Michigan State is the last struggling Big Ten team Wisconsin will face this year. Keeping a cool head and continuing their attack on offense should produce the results they’ve been looking for.
Michigan State player to watch
Mason Appleton is a Wisconsin native from Green Bay and an early selection in the sixth round of the NHL draft to the Winnipeg Jets. He leads the team in assists with 15 and is third in total points with 19. Appleton, while not an enormous scorer for the Spartans this year, leads the team in his ability to pass through defenses. His vision and speed have the ability to cause problems for the Badgers’ defense, which has struggled to block passes all season.
