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Michigan hockey will face Penn State in Big Ten Tournament ... but where?

Chris Balasby:Chris Balas•about 11 hours•

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Michigan Wolverines hockey Brandon Naurato (Photo courtesy: Michigan Photography)
Michigan Wolverines hockey Brandon Naurato (Photo courtesy: Michigan Photography)

Brandon Naurato’s Michigan hockey team has picked it up in recent weeks, winning three of four games against Big Ten frontrunners Minnesota (one shootout victory) and Michigan State. But the Wolverines still have plenty of work to do to make the NCAA Tournament, and the next four (or 5) games will be crucial.

U-M, currently in fourth place in the 7-team Big Ten, is a point ahead of surging Penn State heading into a weekend series with Ohio State. The Wolverines can’t catch the Buckeyes, 8 points behind in the standings with two to play at OSU next weekend, but PSU is only a point behind the Wolverines for fourth after taking 5 of 6 points at No. 1 Michigan State this weekend.

As such, this weekend is huge for both U-M and the Nittany Lions when it comes to home ice for the quarterfinals, the two teams locked into playing each other in a best-of-three series. U-M holds the tiebreaker to play at home if the two end up with the same amount of points.

Penn State hosts now first place Minnesota next weekend having gone 8-2-4 with three shootout wins in conference play after starting the Big Ten season 0-8. They’re also moving up quickly in the pairwise rankings that determine the 16 teams to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Michigan is at No. 11 and PSU 15, so every game matters.

“We’re battling,” goaltender Logan Stein said after earning the Big Ten’s third star of the week following two great showings against the Golden Gophers. “We’re pushing, trying to move up in the Pairwise, trying to set ourselves up for success later down the road. This whole team’s just hungry to be in the NCAA Tournament, and we’re going to be a real dangerous threat to anyone that comes across us then.”

Stein was “outstanding” in replacing Cameron Korpi in period two of game one after Korpi took a hit to the head, and his incredible save last Saturday night on senior night in Ann Arbor, a 3-2 Michigan victory over Minnesota, “was massive, and might be a difference in our season,” Naurato said. “It was really big.”

But he also understands there’s even more improvement necessary if his Wolverines are going to be a factor in March.

“I don’t think we’re there yet,” he said. “I think you got to keep building the confidence and the belief, but just finding a way, like every team, to play 60 minutes the right way. You’re not going to dominate a team for 60 minutes. It’s just learning when to go for it, when to manage risk, and just playing winning hockey.”

It starts this weekend in Columbus, with plenty on the line.