Carrying the confidence from a sweep of the previously top-ranked Gophers in the back of their minds, the No. 8 Badgers (7-4-1 Big Ten, 16-8-2 overall) will travel to Columbus to battle unranked Ohio State (4-5-3 Big Ten, 14-9-3 overall) this Valentine’s Day weekend.
However, there is no love between these teams, which are sure to become Big Ten rivals like their counterparts in football and basketball.
In the first-ever series against each other just weeks ago, Wisconsin took the first game and Ohio State handed the Badgers a rare home loss in the second game for a series split.
The Badgers are halfway through their final all-Big Ten stretch before the conference tournament in March, meaning that every point matters in terms of standings.
“It’s exciting playing the Big Ten teams. You get a smile on your face every time you go to the rink,” said junior goaltender Joel Rumpel. “They’re easy games to get up for. Those are games that are going to feel like playoff games.”
Wisconsin enters the matchup with a healthy lineup, which it has not had since sophomore forward Nic Kerdiles separated his shoulder against Alaska-Anchorage in January.
Kerdiles notched a goal and an assist in his return versus Minnesota. Senior forward Tyler Barnes will likely play for the first time since the Badgers last faced Ohio State.
“Winning against a No. 1 team is huge for us,” Kerdiles said. “Our confidence is going to be high, but we can’t let that get the best of us.”
In addition, the Badgers also boast the Big Ten Star of the Week in Rumpel, who stopped 59 of 61 shots against the Gophers to raise his season save percentage to 0.933.
“My team makes me look better than I am,” Rumpel said. “They keep the shots to the outside. As the game goes on, you just start to get into a groove.”
The lukewarm Buckeyes return home after tying Michigan State twice last weekend, each time with a score of 2-2. Ohio State swept its last opponent, Penn State, at home, and is 12-3-1 on home ice.
“They’re a good team,” senior forward Mark Zengerle said. “They had a couple comeback games against Michigan State [last] weekend, and they have a lot of confidence in their own arena, as well.”
Special teams play was a major factor the last time the Badgers and the Buckeyes met. Ohio State, which has the top power play percentage in the Big Ten, scored two goals with the man advantage and one short-handed goal.
Despite giving up a power play goal to Minnesota, Wisconsin still claims the second-best penalty-killing unit in the Big Ten.
“Special teams is huge,” Kerdiles said. “We’ve been working on our power play, and that’s key for us to get better in.”
Ohio State’s greatest asset is its high-powered offense, led by junior forward Ryan Dzingel. His 17 goals and 37 points have helped the Buckeyes average 3.5 goals per game, an average good for fifth in the nation.
Perhaps Wisconsin’s greatest response to the Buckeyes’ offensive prowess could be its goaltending, with Rumpel coming off his most impressive performance of the season against Minnesota.
The puck drops between the Badgers and the Buckeyes at Value City Arena in Columbus at 6 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday.
