17-18 This week in men's hockey
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT STARTS AT MICHIGAN
Wisconsin (14-17-4, 8-13-3-1 Big Ten) opens the 2018 Big Ten Tournament with a best-of-three series at No. 13 Michigan (18-13-2, 11-10-3-2 Big Ten) at Yost Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The games run Friday, Saturday, and if necessary, Sunday at 6:30 p.m. CT.
The Badgers finished the regular season in sixth place in the Big Ten, and as the sixth seed, will take on third-seeded Michigan in the first round.
Notre Dame (23-9-2, 17-6-1-1 Big Ten), in its first year in the Big Ten, captured the regular-season crown to snap Minnesota's four-year hold on the title. The Fighting Irish get a bye into the semifinals.
Second-seeded Ohio State (21-8-5, 14-8-2-1 Big Ten plays host to seventh-seeded Michigan State (12-20-2, 6-16-2-1 Big Ten), while fourth-seeded Penn State (16-13-5, 9-10-5-2 Big Ten) will play host to fifth-seeded Minnesota (19-15-2, 10-12-2-1 Big Ten) in the other two first-round series.
In the semifinals, Notre Dame will play host to the lowest remaining seed after the first round, on either March 9 or 10, while the next-highest seed remaining will play host to a semifinal game. The championship game will be hosted by the highest-remaining seed in the tournament on March 16 or 17.
Wisconsin enters the postseason coming off a two-game sweep at the hands of No. 6 Ohio State. UW dropped 6-2 and 4-0 contests in Columbus, Ohio.
Michigan closed out its regular season at home last weekend with a pair of 5-3 victories over non-conference opponent Arizona State.
| Game 36 | Wisconsin at Michigan | |
| Date | Friday, March 2Â | 6:30 p.m. (CT) |
| Location | Ann Arbor, Mich. |  Yost Arena (5,800) |
| Watch | BTN Plus | BTN2Go |
| Listen | WIBAÂ 1310Â | Â Badger Sports Network | Listen Live |
| Follow | Live Stats | @BadgerMHockey |
| Game Notes | Wisconsin |
| Tickets | UWBadgers.com |
| Game 37 | Wisconsin at Michigan | |
| Date | Saturday, March 3Â | 6:30 p.m. (CT) |
| Location | Ann Arbor, Mich. |  Yost Arena (5,800) |
| Watch | BTN Plus | BTN2Go |
| Listen | WIBA 1310 Â | Â Badger Sports Network | Listen Live |
| Follow | Live Stats | @BadgerMHockey |
| Game Notes | Wisconsin |
| Tickets | UWBadgers.com |
| Game 38 (if necessary) | Wisconsin at Michigan | |
| Date | Saturday, March 4Â | 6:30 p.m. (CT) |
| Location | Ann Arbor, Mich. |  Yost Arena (5,800) |
| Watch | BTN Plus | BTN2Go |
| Listen | WIBA 1310 Â | Â Badger Sports Network | Listen Live |
| Follow | Live Stats | @BadgerMHockey |
| Game Notes | Wisconsin |
| Tickets | UWBadgers.com |
SERIES NOTES
Michigan
The teams meet for the 146th and 147th times in what is the second-most played rivalry in the Big Ten in UW men’s hockey history (Minnesota is the most played).
The Badgers went 2-1-1 against the Wolverines this regular season, most recently dropping a 5-3 contest on Feb. 2 before earning a 4-2 victory on Feb. 3
LAST MEETINGS
Wisconsin 4, Michigan 2
February 3, 2018
Wisconsin scored three times in the opening period, building a lead the Wolverines couldn't overcome.
Trent Frederic gave UW the 1-0, scoring a goal for the second night in a row.
Ryan Wagner followed suit with his third of the weekend before Cullen Hurley scored his first of the season less than a minute later to hold a 3-0 advantage.
Wyatt Kalynuk extended the lead to 4-0 in the second just five seconds into a Badger power play.Â
While the Wolverines scored two to cut the lead, they couldn't storm past the UW lead.
Kyle Hayton made 32 saves in the win.
Michigan 5, Wisconsin 3
February 2, 2018
Wisconsin scored the game's first goal and rallied within two in the final period, but fell 5-3 to the No. 20 Wolverines.
Trent Frederic scored the Badgers' only first-period goal, giving UW the 1-0 lead before Michigan tallied three times on Badger penalties. Michigan capitalized once in the second period as well.
Trailing 4-1 to start the third period, Ryan Wagner exploded in the final frame and scored twice to cut the Michigan lead to 4-3.
Wisconsin pulled Jack Berry for a shot at tying the game late, but Michigan scored on the empty net to take the 5-3 win.
Berry made 19 saves in the defeat.
BEHIND THE BENCH
WISCONSINÂ BADGERS
Head Coach: Tony Granato
Record at WIS: 34-32-5 (2nd Year)
Overall: 34-32-5 (2nd Year)
MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
Head Coach: Mel Pearson
Record at MICH: 18-13-2 (1st Year)
Overall: 136-105-31 (7th Year)
BY THE NUMBERS
1977 -Â UW's best-of-three series at Michigan marks its first playoff series against UM since 1977, when UW captured 4-0 and 5-4 victories against the Wolverines to win the WCHA tournament. UW went on to beat Michigan in the NCAA title game that year.
2-1-1 -Â The Badgers boast a 2-1-1 mark against Michigan this season, their best record against any Big Ten opponent. UW split its series at Michigan on Feb. 2-3, falling 5-3, before grabbing a 4-2 victory the next evening.
13Â -Â When former Badgers Rene Bourque and Cody Goloubef won the bronze medal with Team Canada at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, they won the 12th and 13th Olympic medals in UW history, becoming the first to bring home bronze medals.
KEY NOTES TO CONSIDER
Wisconsin enters the postseason on a season-long, four-game losing streak, though its most recent victory came Feb. 3 at Michigan.
Five of UW's top players had strong outings during the four regular season meetings against Michigan, including sophomore center Trent Frederic (3 goals, 6 assists, 9 points), freshman winger Linus Weissbach (2-5-7), freshman defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk (1-5-6), senior winger Ryan Wagner (4-1-5) and senior forward and captain Cameron Hughes (2-2-4). If you include the four regular-season meetings between the schools last season, Frederic has 8-7-15, Wagner 4-6-10 and Hughes 3-6-9.
Head coach Tony Granato returns to the Wisconsin bench after missing its last two series due to his position as the head coach of the U.S. Olympic Team. Granato and Team USA placed seventh at the Olympic Winter Games, falling to Czech Republic in the quarterfinals in a shootout.
PLAYOFF GOALTENDING
In their postseason histories, UW's goaltending tandem of senior Kyle Hayton and sophomore Jack Berry are a combined 6-5-0 with a 1.65 goals-against average, a .946 save percentage and two shutouts in 11 contests.
Senior goaltender Kyle Hayton has been outstanding in the postseason during his career. With St. Lawrence, Hayton went 5-4-0 with a 1.76 goals-against average, .944 save percentage and two shutouts in nine career appearances.Â
Hayton is 2-0-1 with a 2.93 goals-against average and .917 save percentage against Michigan this season. That includes a 32-save performance in UW's 4-2 victory at Yost Arena on Feb. 3.
Sophomore goaltender Jack Berry was stellar in the postseason as a rookie. In last year's Big Ten tournament, Berry went 1-1-0 with a 1.23 goals-against average and .949 save percentage in two games. He stopped 56 of 59 shots in 146 minutes, 35 seconds of action. He helped the Badgers defeat Ohio State, 2-1, in the semifinals, before dropping a 2-1 double overtime contest to Penn State in the championship game.Â
PLAYOFF SCORING
Wisconsin has six players who have recorded at least one postseason point on its roster, led by senior forward Cameron Hughes, who has three assists in four career post-season contests.
Only two current Badgers have scored goals in the postseason, including Will Johnson and Matt Ustaski, who scored against Ohio State and Penn State, respectively, during the 2017 Big Ten Tournament.
Senior defenseman Tim Davison, junior forward Seamus Malone and sophomore defenseman JD Greenway each have one postseason assist on their resumes.
SERIES HISTORY
The Badgers will take part in their first best-of-three series since the 2012–13 season when they visit Michigan this Friday, Saturday, and if necessary, Sunday.Â
In UW's last series, it posted a 2-0 series victory over Minnesota Duluth on March 15-16, 2013. The Badgers went on to capture the WCHA title that season, going 5-0 to win the 2013 WCHA Tournament. The Badgers have to win four games to win the 2018 Big Ten Tournament.
The Badgers are 19-7-0 in first-round, best-of-three series outcomes, including a 40-18-0 all-time record in such games. Those all took place between 1988 and 2013 in the WCHA.
The Badgers are 3-3-0 in Big Ten postseason play since the Conference officially formed for the 2013–14 season, including the inaugural tournament victory in 2014. The Badgers reached the title game last season, falling 2-1 to Penn State in double overtime.
SPECIAL TEAMS
UW is 31st nationally with its 18.1 percent power play (25-for-138), which is fifth in the Big Ten. UW was 0-for-5 last weekend against Ohio State.
The Badgers are 0-for-16 over their last four games on the power play.
Over the last 14 games, UW has power play goals in just four of those contests.
This week's opponent, Michigan, ranks 55th in the country with a 76.5 percent penalty kill (104-of-136).
The Badgers went 6-for-22 on the power play against Michigan when the teams met during the regular season, going 3-for-10 in Ann Arbor. The UW penalty kill was 16-for-20 in the series. Â
Wisconsin’s penalty kill is 119-for-146 (81.5 percent) on the season, ranking fifth in the Big Ten and 29th nationally.Â
Michigan's power play is 47th in the country at 15.6 percent (21-for-135), good for sixth in the Big Ten.
AND THE FRESHMEN SHALL LEAD THEM
Wisconsin's seven-member freshman class paces the Badgers in scoring with 91 points, seven more than UW's eight-member senior group (84). UW's eight juniors own 66 points, while the five sophomores account for 37 points.Â
With 91 points (31 goals, 60 assists), Wisconsin's freshmen rank sixth among national rookie classes in scoring this season.
FRESHMAN SCORING
| RK | TEAM | POINTS |
| 1. | Massachusetts | 144 |
| 2. | Bowling Green | 111 |
| 3. | Minnesota State | 110 |
| 4. | Boston University | 109 |
| 5. | Minnesota Duluth | 107 |
| 6. | Wisconsin | 91 |
UW's rookies average 2.60 points per game, which is sixth-best in the nation.
Kalynuk's 23 points have him ranked second in the country among the nation's rookie rear guards, six behind Minnesota Duluth defenseman Scott Perunovich.
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 (nine goals), senior forward Cameron Hughes (seven), junior forward Matthew Freytag (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.
ROAD TRIP
Last week's sweep at the hands of Ohio State marked the first time UW had been swept on the road since dropping a pair of games on Jan. 15-16, 2016 at Penn State.
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 from Jan. 21 through Feb. 3. The five-game streak matched his career-long that he has done on two prior occasions.
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 2-12-2 when getting outscored in the third stanza.
That proved opposite of what happened at Michigan, Feb. 2-3, 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 been outscored by opponents 111-106 this season, including 37-32 in second periods and 44-38 in the third. Opponents have edged the Badgers 1-0 in overtime. Wisconsin has outscored opponents 36-29 in the first period.
The Badgers have scored first in 20 of 35 games this season and sit 11-8-1 in those contests. However, UW has the first goal in four of the last six games, but are 1-3-0 in those games.
WHERE THEY RANK
A handful of Badgers rank among the top players in the Big Ten in various categories.
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BLOCKED SHOTS
Junior defenseman Peter Tischke is sixth in the country with 74 blocks in 35 games played, while his 2.11 blocks per game ranks 12th 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.
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SCORING DROUGHT
Senior captain and forward Cameron Hughes has seven goals on the season, but has played his last 15 games without scoring a goal. He has one goal in his last 20 contests.
Junior forward Will Johnson has a six-game goal-scoring drought, one goal in his last 17 games and two tallies over his last 22 games. He has six goals on the season.
Freshman forward Tarek Baker, who is one of four Badgers in double figures in goals, has no goals over his last nine games.
Junior forward Seamus Malone is without a goal over his last six games played. He has 10 goals this season.
Freshman forward Sean Dhooghe is without a point in his last eight games. He has six goals and 16 points during the stretch.
Senior forward Ryan Wagner, UW's leading scorer with 29 points, has gone four games without a point.
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
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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 skated 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 to represent 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 secured a bronze medal with a 6-4 victory over the Czech Republic. Goloubef (2 assists) and Bourque (1 assist) each tallied points in the medal victory. That marked the 12th and 13th Olympic medals won by Badgers all-time.
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 - L, 4-3
Feb. 24 - Canada vs. Czech Republic - W, 6-4Â Â
100 GAMES
Eight Badgers have skated in at least 100 games played with senior forward Ryan Wagner leading the way (141 GP). Also over the 100 games-played threshold are senior defenseman Jake Linhart (140), senior forward Cameron Hughes (137), senior defenseman Tim Davison (131), senior forward Jason Ford (109) and junior forwards Will Johnson (104) and Seamus Malone (104). Graduate transfer goaltender Kyle Hayton has also played in 130 games.
Two others, including Matt Ustaski (98) and Peter Tischke (97), 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.
Senior forward Ryan Wagner has skated in all 141 games of his career.
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
| NAME | TEAM | YEAR | RD./PICK |
| Trent Frederic | Boston | 2016 | 1/29 |
| JD Greenway | Toronto | 2016 | 3/72 |
| Max Zimmer | Carolina | 2016 | 4/104 |
| Tyler Inamoto | Florida | 2017 | 5/133 |
| Cameron Hughes | Boston | 2015 | 6/165 |
| Matt Ustaski | Winnipeg | 2014 | 7/192 |
| Linus Weissbach | Buffalo | 2017 | 7/192 |
| Wyatt Kalynuk | Philadelphia | 2017 | 7/196 |
| Josh Ess | Chicago | 2017 | 7/215 |
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.
