Michigan Wolverines Hockey Weekend Preview: Ohio State
While not holding quite the allure of football’s version of “The Game”, hockey’s Michigan-Ohio State matchups have a history that dates back to 1964 with Michigan holding an 81-43-13 advantage over the Buckeyes.
Matching that success over fourth-ranked Ohio State will be a challenge for the Wolverines this season, especially during this weekend’s road pair of contests set for Friday and Saturday evenings in Columbus.
Friday night’s contest will be carried on BTN Plus and Saturday night’s game will be carried on the Big Ten Network.
Ohio State (12-4-4, 5-2-3-2 Big Ten) sits atop the Big Ten conference standings and has never dropped below #7 in the national rankings this season.
Michigan (7-8-5, 3-4-4-2 Big Ten) will attempt to recover from a mid-week stumble against lightly-regarded Hockey East foe Merrimack. The Wolverines lost to Merrimack at Yost Ice Arena Tuesday night, 4-2.
The Buckeyes sport the best goal differential this season in Big Ten play, scoring 34 goals while only allowing 20. Senior forward Mason Jobst leads the Buckeyes in conference scoring with nine goals and six assists in ten games.
Michigan Players To Watch
Sophomore forward Josh Norris and sophomore defenseman Quinn Hughes, Michigan’s top two scorers, return to the Wolverine lineup after missing three games while in British Columbia competing for Team USA in the IIHF World Junior Championships.
Ohio State Player To Watch
Jobst gets the deserved headlines, but NHL scouts will tell you that junior forward Tanner Laczynski’s 6-1 193 pound frame and pro style skill set is a potent combination to face. A 2016 draft choice of the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL), Laczynski earned second team All-American and first team Big Ten honors in 2018.
Other Big Ten Hockey Weekend Action
Michigan State @ #11 Penn State (Fri/Sat)
Minnesota @ #9 Notre Dame (Fri/Sat)
US NTDP U18 @ Wisconsin (Sat exhibition)
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