REGULAR-SEASON WRAPS UP AT OHIO STATE
Wisconsin (14-15-4, 8-11-3-1 Big Ten) wraps up regular-season play with a trip to No. 6 Ohio State (19-8-5, 12-8-2-1 Big Ten) on Friday and Saturday. Both games begin at 6 p.m. CT.
Both games air on 1310 WIBA and on the Badger Radio Network. Video stream is available on BTN Plus (BTN2Go.com) for a fee. The free audio stream can be found on the iheart radio app.
Wisconsin had off last weekend, but was swept by Minnesota at the Kohl Center in its last action on Feb. 9-10.Â
Ohio State also played Minnesota in its last action, dropping a 2-1 contest last Friday, before skating to a 1-1 tie against the Gophers in Minneapolis last Saturday. OSU won the shootout for an extra point in the Big Ten standings.
SERIES NOTES
Ohio State
The Badgers are 18-10-3 all-time against Ohio State, after the teams split the opening Big Ten weekend of the season at the Kohl Center on Oct. 6 and 7. Each time won a 3-2 contest.
These will mark the 32nd and 33rd meetings all-time between the schools.
LAST MEETINGS
Wisconsin 3, Ohio State 2
October 7, 2017
Will Johnson scored the game's first goal just past the midpoint of the first period, then Cameron Hughes and Tarek Baker scored second-period goals to put the Badgers up 3-0 through two periods.Â
Ohio State got back in the game with a pair of tallies 24 seconds apart in the third  period, but that was as close as they it would get.
The Badgers won the shot total, 25-18, holding the Buckeyes to just three shots in goal in the first period.
Neither team scored on the power play, with the Badgers 0-for-4 and Ohio State, 0-for-6.
Goaltender Kyle Hayton made 16 saves to earn the first Big Ten victory of his career.
Ohio State 3, Wisconsin 2
October 6, 2017
Wisconsin led 1-0 on a goal by Trent Frederic in the second period, then 2-1 on a Tarek Baker penalty shot at 10:22 of the third period, but Ohio State scored twice in the final five minutes to earn the 3-2 victory.
Mason Jobst scored the first and game-winning goals for Ohio State, while John Wiitala tallied his first of two goals on the weekend.
The Badgers failed on their lone power-place chance of the contest, while holding the Buckeyes to an 0-for-5 evening with the man advantage.
The Buckeyes held a 24-20 shot edge in the contest.
Kyle Hayton stopped 21 shots.
BEHIND THE BENCH
WISCONSINÂ BADGERS
Head Coach: Tony Granato
Record at WIS: 34-30-5 (2nd Year)
Overall: 34-30-5 (2nd Year)
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
Head Coach: Steve Rohlik
Record at OSU: 86-70-22 (5th Year)
Overall: 86-70-22 (5th Year)
BY THE NUMBERS
7 -Â Wisconsin owns seven road wins in the all-time series, and sports a 7-3-1 mark (.682 win percentage) at Ohio State. That gives UW a better road record than home record (4-5-2, .455) in the all-time series against the Buckeyes.
3.05 -Â This weekend's contests at Ohio State match up the two high-scoring teams in Big Ten play as both UW and OSU are averaging 3.05 goals per game in league play. Both have 67 goals in 22 contests. OSU on defense holds an edge with a 2.41 to 3.32 goals against per game mark.
17 -Â Freshman defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk leads all Big Ten rookies and all Big Ten rear guards with 17 points in Big Ten action. He is one point clear of teammate Linus Weissbach among rookies and two points clear of all Big Ten blue liners.
KEY NOTES TO CONSIDER
Wisconsin has an outside chance at earning home ice for the first round of the Big Ten tournament, but needs to win both games at Ohio State and a Penn State sweep over Minnesota. If not, UW will travel to either Michigan or Minnesota for the best-of-three first round of the playoffs that runs March 2-4.
Wisconsin played just one game against Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, last season, winning 3-1 on Jan. 26, 2017. Game two of that series was a 3-2 overtime victory at Madison Square Garden in New York on Jan. 28, 2017.
Senior forward Matt Ustaski scored his first goal of the season, ending a drought of 17 games when he tallied on Feb. 9 against Minnesota in UW's last series. Ustaski's last goal came in the 2017 Big Ten Championship Game against Penn State in Detroit.Â
Junior forward Matthew Freytag ended a 10-game goal-scoring drought with his tally on Feb. 9 against Minnesota. The Wayzata, Minnesota, native last scored on Dec. 2 at Minnesota.
Sophomore forward Trent Frederic had his perfect February scoring streak snapped on Feb. 9 when he went pointless, but returned to the scoresheet the next night with a goal. In 12 career games in February, Frederic boasts points in 11 of those games and has 11 goals and 21 points.
Head coach Tony Granato is expected to miss this weekend's series at Ohio State because he will be in PyeongChang, South Korea, serving as head coach of the 2018 U.S. Olympic Team. Associate head coaches Mark Osiecki and Mark Strobel will run the Badgers.
The Badgers sit 5-5-1 in true road games this season and look to finished with a winning road record for the second consecutive season. The Badgers went 9-4-0 in road games during the 2016–17 campaign.
CROWDSOURCING
The Badgers had their biggest crowd of the season and the largest since Feb. 22, 2014 when they sold out the Kohl Center on Feb. 10 for their game against Minnesota. The sellout crowd of 15,359 marked the third crowd this season above 13,600.
A PERFECT 10
UW has four 10-goal scorers, led by sophomore forward Trent Frederic's 15 markers. Wagner (13), as well as Malone and freshmen forward Tarek Baker boast 10 goals.Â
The four double-digit goal-scorers equals UW's total from last season when Luke Kunin (22 goals), Frederic (15), Malone (10) and Will Johnson (10) each reached the mark.
Other Badgers with the best chance to reach the mark this season include freshman forward Linus Weissbach (eight goals), senior forward Cameron Hughes (seven), junior forward Johnson (six) and freshman forward Sean Dhooghe (six).
Prior to Baker this season, Luke Kunin's 19 goals as a freshman in 2015–16 is the most recent occurrence of a rookie surpassing 10 goals.Â
You have to go back to the 2005–06 season to find the last time two UW freshmen reach 10 goals in the same season when both Jack Skille (13 goals) and Ben Street (10 goals) reached double-figures in goals.
WAGNER LEADS THE WAY
Senior forward Ryan Wagner paces the Badgers with 29 points this season.
Wagner boasted a five-game point streak with fourth goals and four assists for eight points. The five-game streak matches his career-long that he has done on two prior occassions.
Wagner also had goals in three consecutive games after scoring a goal on Jan. 27, two goals on Friday, Feb. 2 at Michigan, and then one goal Feb. 3 at Michigan.
UW's leader this season with eight multi-point games, and its current career leader with 18 multi-point efforts, he had three consecutive multi-point games before only scoring one goal Feb. 3.
Wagner's 29 points are a career-high.
His 13 goals this season are also a career best.
THIRD PERIODS ARE KEY
Third periods have been key to the Badgers' success this season. UW is 10-3-2 when outscoring its opponents in the final frame, but just 2-10-2 when getting outscored in the third stanza.
That proved opposite of what happened at Michigan as UW won Friday's third period, 2-1, but lost 5-3. Saturday, Michigan outscored the Badgers in the third period, 1-0, but UW claimed a 4-2 triumph.
The Badgers have outscored opponents 104-101 this season, including 35-29 in the first period. UW and its opponents are an even 38-38 in third-period scoring. UW has been edged 33-31 in the second period and 1-0 in overtimes.
The Badgers have scored first in 19 of 33 games this season and sit 11-7-1 in those contests. However, UW has the first goal just four times in its last 13 games.
SHORT-HANDED EXPLOSION
After going the first 24 games of the season without a short-handed goal, the Badgers scored three in seven games, and have a fourth goal on a penalty shot drawn while UW was shorthanded.
Three of the four goals have come off the stick of sophomore forward Trent Frederic. He scored a short-handed goal in UW's 5-2 victory against Michigan State on Jan. 13, scored on a penalty shot at Notre Dame that he drew with a short-handed breakaway on Jan. 19, then scored a short-handed goal on Sunday, Jan. 21 in Chicago against the Fighting Irish in UW's 5-0 victory. Senior forward Ryan Wagner added his first career short-handed goal on Jan. 27 in a 4-4 tie against Penn State.
Prior to Jan. 13, UW hadn't scored shorthanded since Feb. 24, 2017, from an Aidan Cavallini tally at Minnesota.
SPECIAL TEAMS
UW is 31st nationally with its 18.8 percent power play (25-for-133), which is fifth in the Big Ten. UW was 0-for-11 last weekend against Minnesota.
This week's opponent, Ohio State, ranks first in the country with a 90.7 percent penalty kill (107-of-118).
The Badgers went 0-for-5 on the power play against Ohio State when the teams met earlier this season for a series. The UW penalty kill wasa perfect 11-for-11 in the series. Â
Wisconsin's penalty kill is 112-for-138 (81.2 percent) on the season, ranking fifth in the Big Ten and 30th nationally.Â
Ohio State's power play is 12th in the country at 22.5 percent (29-for-129), good for first in the Big Ten.
AND THE FRESHMEN SHALL LEAD THEM
Wisconsin's seven-member freshman class paces the Badgers in scoring with 88 points, eight more than UW's eight-member senior group (80). UW's eight juniors own 63 points, while the five sophomores account for 35 points.Â
With 88 points (30 goals, 58 assists), Wisconsin's freshmen rank sixth among national rookie classes in scoring this season.
FRESHMAN SCORING
| RK |
TEAM |
POINTS |
| 1. |
Massachusetts |
138 |
| 2. |
Bowling Green |
107 |
|
Minnesota State |
107 |
| 4. |
Boston University |
105 |
| 5. |
Minnesota Duluth |
92 |
| 6. |
Wisconsin |
88 |
UW's rookie average 2.67 points per game, which is seventh-best in the nation.
Kalynuk's 22 points have him tied for second in the country among the nation's rookie rear guards, three behind Minnesota Duluth defenseman Scott Perunovich.
BLOCKED SHOTS
Junior defenseman Peter Tischke is tied for fifth in the country with 70 blocks in 33 games played, while his 2.12 blocks per game ranks 11th in the nation. He led the Badgers last season with 60 blocks, including an 11-block contest in a 3-2 victory over Minnesota on Feb. 24.
WHERE THEY RANK
A handful of Badgers rank among the top players in the Big Ten in various categories.
| 10t. Wagner |
29 points |
| 3. Frederic |
15 goals |
| 10t. Kalynuk |
19 assists |
| 5t. Kalynuk |
13 power-play points |
| 2t. Wagner |
7 power-play goals |
| 2t. Frederic |
2 short-handed goals |
| 5t. Malone |
3 game-winners |
| 3. Kalynuk |
22 points (D-men) |
| 3t. Kalynuk |
22 points (Freshmen) |
| Â Â Â Weissbach |
|
| 2. Wisconsin |
3.15 goals/game |
| 5. Wisconsin |
3.06 GA/game |
| 5. Wisconsin |
18.8% power play |
| 5. Wisconsin |
81.2% penalty kill |
JOHANNSONÂ PASSES AWAY
Jim Johannson, the 2018 U.S. Olympic Team general manager, passed away last weekend at the age of 53. The former Badger, who helped UW to the 1983 NCAA championship, had been with USA Hockey since 2000 in various roles, including assistant executive director of hockey operations since 2007.
As a Badger, Johannson scored 63 goals, 67 assists and 130 points in 148 games played from 1982-86. He was also a part of Wisconsin's 1983 NCAA championship team.
Among the numerous accomplishment during his USA Hockey tenure, among the most significant were capturing 64 medals in major international competition, including 34 gold, 19 silver and 11 bronze; the launching and implementation of the highly acclaimed American Development Model; and securing USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, as a home for all U.S. teams to utilize.
"We lost a true friend in Jim Johannson today," Wisconsin and U.S. Olympic coach Tony Granato said. "He was so compassionate and as loyal a friend as you could have. He was the ultimate teammate.
"I am deeply saddened and shocked and sorry that he is no longer with us. He was a special human being. Please pray for Jim's wife and daughter, Abby and Ellie."
LUNDEEN PASSES AWAY
Dave Lundeen, 1977 NCAA champion at Wisconsin, and one of four brothers to play for the Badgers, passed away on Jan. 25 of cancer.
Lundeen 60 goalsd and 141 points in 141 games at Wisconsin.Â
He was a Rochester, Minnesota, native, who made his home in the Madison, Wisconsin area.Â
OF PENALTY SHOTS
Freshman forward Tarek Baker's successful penalty shot against Ohio State on Oct. 6 marked the fourth penalty shot goal in the last five seasons for the Badgers. Freshman forward Sean Dhooghe made it five in five seasons with his penalty-shot goal on Nov. 4 against North Dakota. Prior to the last five years, UW went 16 seasons without a successful penalty shot.Â
Sophomore Trent Frederic took the Badgers' third successful penalty shot of the season on Jan. 19 against Notre Dame. That was the sixth in five seasons.
The three penalty-shot goals are the most for a season in UW history. UW had never had a season with more than one.
The Badgers have scored on five consecutive penalty shot attempts.Â
Both Baker's and Sean Dhooghe's penalty shot goals marked their first career goals as Badgers. That makes them the first UW skaters to score their first goal on a penalty shot.
UW allowed its first successful penalty shot last Saturday since the 2009–10 campaign when Penn State's Brandon Biro beat UW's Jack Berry in the second period in a 4-4 tie.Â
UW opponents had failed on their last three penalty-shot attempts as Berry stopped Minnesota's Jack Ramsey on Dec. 2, while Michigan's Brendan Warren was stopped by Matt Jurusik on Dec. 4, 2015, and Joel Rumpel saved Michigan State's Joe Cox on March 15, 2014. The last successful attempt came from the stick of Minnesota State's Kael Mouillierat on Feb. 12, 2010.
DOUBLE DHOOGHE
When Sean and Jason Dhooghe each scored their first career goals in the same game on Nov. 4 against North Dakota, they became the first brothers in UW history to accomplish the feat. They also became the sixth brother combination to score goals in the same game, including most recently current UW associate head coach Mark Strobel, and his twin brother, Mike, who both scored on Nov. 19, 1993 against Colorado College. They were the third Badger twin brothers to both score in the same game.
First OccurrenceÂ
| Brothers |
Date |
Opponent |
| Sean/Jason Dhooghe |
11/4/2017 |
North Dakota |
| Mark/Mike Strobel (twins) |
11/19/1993 |
Colo. College |
| Jim/John Johannson |
11/26/1982 |
Air Force |
| Scott/Todd Lecy |
11/2/1979 |
Michigan State |
| Mark/Peter Johnson |
11/10/1978 |
Michigan |
| Murray/Brad Johnson (twins) |
1/2/1976 |
Denver |
| Dave/Bob Lundeen |
11/17/1973 |
Notre Dame |
|
HEY, HAYTON
Goaltender Kyle Hayton joins the Badgers as a graduate transfer from St. Lawrence University, where he was named the ECAC Goaltender of the Year and a second-team All-American in 2016-17.Â
Hayton, a native of Denver, was one of 10 semifinalists for the Mike Richter Award. He started 35 of the Saints' 37 contests while posting a .929 save percentage and five shutouts.
Hayton finished his time at SLU as the leader in career wins, appearances, saves, shutouts and goals-against average in just three seasons of play.
Had Hayton played his first three years at Wisconsin, he would currently rank in the top-five on the all-time UW list for career save percentage (.928, second), shutouts (13, second), wins (63, fourth), goals-against average (2.22, second) and saves (3,659, third).
Hayton entered the season with numbers that rank among the best in the country among the nation's goaltenders. His 3,079 saves were No. 1, as was his .934 save percentage. He ranked second with 54 victories in goal, while his 13 shutouts also ranked second.Â
B1G ADDITION
Notre Dame is now the seventh member of the Big Ten for hockey after spending the last four seasons as a member of Hockey East. The Fighting Irish were CCHA members prior to that.
UND reached the 2017 NCAA Frozen Four semifinals, before eventual national champion Denver eliminated the Fighting Irish.
UND visits the Kohl Center for a Dec. 8-9 series, while UW visits South Bend, Indiana, for a series on Jan. 19-20.
The Big Ten moves to a three-week playoff with best-of-three series on campus sites, then a semifinal game and championship game at campus sites of the higher seed. The top seed will get a first-round bye.
OLYMPIC NOTES
There has been at least one Wisconsin men's hockey player competing at every Olympics dating back to 1976. In all but 1994, there have been at least two Badgers in each Olympics.
Two former Badgers will skate for Team Canada as forward Rene Bourque (2000–04) and defenseman Cody Goloubef (2007–10) were named to the squad.
Bourque and Goloubef are the fifth and sixth Badgers who will have represented Team Canada at the Olympics: Bruce Driver and Patrick Flatley (1984), Curtis Joseph (1998 and 2002), Dany Heatley (2006, 2010). Both Joseph and Heatley won gold medals.
They are the 24th and 25th Badgers to skate in the Olympics all-time.Â
Canada finished second in its pool and earned a bye into the quarterfinals, defeating Finland to advance to the semifinals. Tony Granato's Team USA tied for second in its pool, and opened elimination play with a win over Slovakia. Team USA fell in the quarterfinals to the Czech Republic in a shootout.
OLYMPIC SCHEDULE (CT)
Preliminary Rounds
Feb. 14 - USA vs. Slovenia- L, 3-2 (OT)
Feb. 15 - Canada vs. Switzerland- W, 5-1
Feb. 15 - USA vs. Slovakia - W, 2-1
Feb. 16 - Canada vs. Czech Rep. - W, 3-2 (SO)
Feb. 17 - USA vs. Russia - L, 4-0
Feb. 18 - Canada vs. S. Korea - W, 4-0
ELIMINATION ROUNDS (CT)
Feb. 19 - USA vs. Slovakia - W, 5-1
Feb. 20 - USA vs. Czech Republic - L, 3-2 (SO)
Feb. 21 - Canada vs. Finland - W, 1-0
Feb. 23 - Canada vs. Germany - 6:10 a.m.Â
100 GAMES
Eight Badgers have skated in at least 100 games played with senior forward Ryan Wagner leading the way (139 GP). Also over the 100 games-played threshold are senior defenseman Jake Linhart (138), senior forward Cameron Hughes (135), senior defenseman Tim Davison (129), senior forward Jason Ford (107) and junior forwards Will Johnson (103) and Seamus Malone (102). Graduate transfer goaltender Kyle Hayton has also played in 129 games.
Two others, including Matt Ustaski (96) and Peter Tischke (95), are within striking distance of 100 games played.
UW boasted seven skaters last season with at least 100 games played, the most since the 2013–14 Badgers had 11 skaters over 100 career games played.
100 POINTS
A couple of Wisconsin seniors have an outside chance at reaching 100 career points as Cameron Hughes has 90 career points and Ryan Wagner boasts 84 career points.Â
Should either reach the mark, they would be the first Badgers since the 2013–14 season to break the mark. That year, both Michael Mersch (120 points) and Tyler Barnes (101 points) eclipsed the mark.
CAPTAINS
Senior forward Cameron Hughes was named team captain after serving as an alternate captain in 2016-17.Â
The four Badgers joining Hughes as alternate captains are senior forward Ryan Wagner and senior defenseman Jake Linhart, as well as junior forward Seamus Malone and sophomore forward Trent Frederic.
The five-member leadership crew is the largest in program history, not counting the three seasons during which the Badgers have rotated and had game captains.
UW has had combinations of four captains and assistant captains on six prior occasions, including most recently during the 2012-13 season when captain John Ramage had assistant help from Ryan Little, Derek Lee and Frankie Simonelli.
FEELING A DRAFT
Wisconsin begins the season with nine NHL draft picks on its roster.Â
UW had four players selected in 2017, including three defensemen. That marks the first time since 2008 that three Badger defensemen were chosen by NHL teams.
Defenseman Tyler Inamoto (5th round, 133rd overall) was the highest pick for the Badgers in this year's draft, followed by defensemen Wyatt Kalynuk (196th) and Josh Ess (215th), both in the seventh round.
Forward Linus Weissbach was also selected in the seventh round, going 192nd overall.
This marks the second consecutive year that four Badgers were chosen in the NHL Draft.
CURRENT UW DRAFT PICKSÂ Â Â
COACHING THEM UP
All three Wisconsin coaches are Badgers' alumni with head coach Tony Granato (1983–87), associate head coach Mark Osiecki (1987–90) and associate head coach Mark Strobel (1991–95) all having skated for UW.
Granato, who completed his degree last year during his first season as UW head coach, will face a similar challenge this season as the 2018 U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey Team head coach.Â
UW's director of hockey operations Shane Connelly gives UW two former Badger athletes with NCAA titles on their resume. Connelly was a member of UW's 2006 NCAA title-winning team, while Osiecki played for the Badgers' 1990 NCAA championship team. Osiecki also served as an assistant coach for the 2006 team during his first coaching stint at UW.
UP NEXT
Wisconsin awaits the final Big Ten Conference standings to find out where it will play its first-round, best-of-three series.
