Badgers look to rebound from slip vs. Ohio State

MADISON – Don't be surprised if Wisconsin takes the ice with an added edge this week.

The Badgers men's hockey team plays at Penn State, fresh off being swept by the Big Ten's last-place team, Ohio State. One of the issues behind the setbacks was the need for more aggressiveness in various aspects of the Badgers' play and approach. And while Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings credited Ohio State for getting his team out of rhythm and playing physical, he also thought his players needed to be stronger with the puck, attack better and play better team defense.

The series was a tough break for UW, which could have moved into first place in the Big Ten with two wins.

But those kind of upsets can happen in the conference. Hastings said as much heading into the series.

What he wanted to see was a better bounce-back from the team.

“On Saturday for the first time all season I didn't like our push-back,” he said. “One reason it's very difficult to sweep in this league is because of human nature. Human nature is if you don't find a way to get there, you've got to find a way to get there the next night.”

Or the next week.

Penn State could be dangerous

UW (22-8-2, 13-6-1 – 42 points Big Ten) travels to Penn State (13-14-3, 5-12-3) for the final road series of the regular season at 6 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday. For the second straight week the Badgers, who dropped two spots to No. 6 in the USCHO poll, face a team near the bottom of the standings that has the potential to be dangerous.

The sixth-place Nittany Lions are coming off a split with then-No. 14 Michigan.

“They're playing some of their best hockey right now,” Hastings said. “I think they've gotten some confidence.”

The good news for Wisconsin is that despite last week's struggles, its overtime loss to Ohio State last Friday allowed it to cut first-place Michigan State's lead to four points. The Spartans were off last week.

The Badgers' margin for error is slim. A UW split and a Michigan State sweep of Ohio State this week would give the Spartans the regular-season title before they step foot on the Kohl Center ice next week.

“It was time for a little adversity to hit us,” senior Mathieu De St. Phalle said. “I think we're going to respond really well to that. We started to get to work right away this week and come together as a team.”

Wisconsin will have to get through the weekend without senior Owen Lindmark, who is expected to miss a second straight series due to a lower-body injury.

UW eyes No. 2 seed in Big Ten tournament

The Badgers need one more point to wrap up the No. 2 seed for the Big Ten tournament and one more win to finish ahead of Minnesota for sole possession of second place.

UW scored a convincing sweep of the Nittany Lions in Madison, getting a hat trick from Carson Bantle in a 6-3 win on Dec. 8 and seeing four players score in a 4-1 victory on Dec. 9.

However, the Badgers learned last week that nothing is a sure bet if they're not tending to the details of the game.

DAVE KALLMANN / MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL UW forward Carson Bantle, shown in a game against Northeastern, had a hat trick against Penn State in December.