The Badgers (1-7-2 Big Ten, 6-12-6 overall) will be faced with the difficult task of slowing down the high-octane Michigan offense (8-2-2, 17-4-4) this weekend at the Kohl Center.
Two weekends ago, Wisconsin responded from a dismal series against Minnesota to earn two wins against Alaska. But to build on this momentum, they will have to take down perennial powerhouse Michigan, a team that is averaging a whopping 4.84 goals per game.
In the first series this season in Ann Arbor, Mich., the two squads combined for 22 goals, including a 6-6 battle that ended with a shootout victory for the Wolverines. Michigan also captured the first contest, 6-4.
Wisconsin’s main mission will be finding a way to stop the potent Michigan offense. This is made more difficult by the absence of senior defenseman Eddie Wittchow, who will serve the last game of his three-game suspension Friday.
This will cause head coach Mike Eaves to continue to play redshirt sophomore forward Corbin McGuire on defense. McGuire played two weekends ago against Alaska and held his own well enough to earn praise from Eaves.
“He continues to take reps in practice and for him he just plays hockey; whether he's forward or defenseman, he's doing the right things in the position that he's in,” Eaves said.
The Badgers are allowing 3.48 goals against per game, a number that is far too high in contrast with their average of 2.63 goals scored per game. For Wisconsin to have a chance, freshman goalie Matt Jurusik will have to play at his highest ability and avoid a letdown like he had against Minnesota, when he gave up eight goals on just 27 shots.
If Jurusik can play similar to how he did against Alaska, especially in the second game when he stopped 30 shots and allowed just two goals, Wisconsin will have an opportunity to win.
Eaves stressed the importance of the defensive end in his Monday press conference.
“Funny, last night, everybody watched the Super Bowl and, offense wins games, but defense wins championships,” Eaves said. “And if we can tighten that up and continue to get better at that, that's going to serve us well as we go down the stretch.”
The Badgers will have to stop freshman forward Kyle Connor, who is currently tied for first in the country with 44 points. They will also have to slow down the Wolverines’ leading goal scorer, junior forward Tyler Motte, who has found the back of the net 25 times this campaign. This number gives him the most goals in the nation, four more than the next player. Junior forward J.T. Compher has amassed 38 points on the season, good for seventh-best in the NCAA. He has scored just 10 goals, but has compiled 28 assists, which is the second-highest total in the country.
Michigan comes into the series on a one-game winning streak after losing in overtime to Michigan State in the opening game of their series. That loss snapped a four-game winning streak. The Wolverines have quite a bit to play for as they are locked in a tie for the Big Ten lead with Minnesota. With a series against the Gophers looming two weekends from now, the Badgers could take advantage of a Michigan team looking too far ahead.
To do this though, Wisconsin will have to counter with offense of their own. Freshman forward Luke Kunin could be the X factor after scoring just one goal in the last three contests. The Badgers will also need junior forward Grant Besse to return to his old form, as he has lit the lamp just once in his last six games. He was held scoreless by Alaska last weekend.
The last time the Wolverines and Badgers met, Wisconsin came close to pulling out two upset victories in a hostile environment, a microcosm of their entire season. They have been maddeningly close to beating excellent teams, but have continually fallen short at the end. If the Badgers can play to their full potential, most notably on the shoulders of Jurusik, Kunin and Besse, they have a shot at earning a pair of upset wins in front of the Badger faithful.
“One of the things we talked about is we have flirted with beating a lot of good teams, and that flirtation has got to end, and we've got to get over that hump,” Eaves said.
The puck drops Friday at 7 p.m. and then again at 7 p.m. Saturday.
