Michigan
Minnesota
Michigan to Hit the Road to Close Out Regular Season at Minnesota
2/26/2020 8:04:00 PM | Ice Hockey
THIS WEEK
Friday, Feb. 28 -- at No. 18 Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), 7:30 p.m. CST
TV: BTN | Â Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio
Saturday, Feb. 29 – at No. 18 Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), 5 p.m. CST
TV: BTN+ |Â Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio
• Complete Game Notes (PDF)
• Watch: Lavigne Stays Positive, Team-Focused in Backup Role
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The University of Michigan ice hockey team (15-14-3, 10-10-2-1 B1G) will close out the regular season at No. 18-ranked Minnesota this weekend inside Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis. The Wolverines look to secure home ice for the playoffs, but with a tight Big Ten race, they can finish anywhere from second to sixth in the Big Ten standings. Friday's game will begin at 7:30 p.m. CST and will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network, while Saturday's 5 p.m. CST game will be carried live on Fox Sports Detroit Plus and BTN Plus.
The Series
Minnesota holds a 141-126-18 edge in the all-time series against the Wolverines that began in 1923. The teams met each other in the conference opener in early November at Yost Ice Arena, playing to a 1-1 draw before Minnesota took the extra point in a 3-on-3 overtime. The next day, Minnesota captured a 3-1 win with Michigan outshooting the Golden Gophers, 39-24. During the weekend, Michigan was 0-for-9 on the power play. The Wolverines' last win at Mariucci was a 4-2 final on Feb. 1, 2019.
Wolverine Bites
• Michigan heads to Minnesota with a 15-14-3 overall record and sits 20th in the PairWise Rankings.
• A tale of two seasons, the Wolverines have posted an 8-3-1 record since January. In the first half of the season, Michigan's scoring offense ranked 44th in the nation at 2.16 goals per game. Since January, the Wolverines average 3.58 goals per game, the eighth best scoring offense in 2020.
• Leading that spark are seniors Jake Slaker and Will Lockwood. Slaker has 12 goals and 14 assists while Lockwood has 21 points on eight goals and 13 assists. Rookie Cam York is third in scoring with 16 points, followed closely behind by senior Nick Pastujov, the team's best faceoff man. Grad student Jacob Hayhurst, is coming off of a five-game goal scoring stretch, and matches freshman Johnny Beecher and defenseman Nick Blankenburg with 14 points apiece.
• Michigan's defense ranks eighth nationally, allowing just 2.16 goals per game. The last line of defense is sophomore Strauss Mann, who leads the Big Ten goaltenders and is eighth nationally with a 2.00 goals-against average. He also sports the sixth-best save percentage at .934.
Scouting the Gophers
Minnesota sits four points out of first place in the Big Ten standings, tied with Ohio State with 37 points. Last weekend, the Gophers gave up five points to Penn State losing in a 3-on-3 overtime game and a 3-2 regulation game the next day. Overall, the Gophers are 14-12-6 and ranked No. 18 in the latest USCHO poll and 14th in the PairWise rankings. Sophomore Sammy Walker leads the offense with 28 points on 11 goals and 17 assists, while classmate Sampo Ranta has 11 goals and eight assists for 19 points. Only junior Scott Reedy has more goals with 15 to his credit, to go along with six assists, for 21 points. Junior Brannon McManus is second on the team in points with 25, while rookie Ben Meyers has 23. Minnesota has split time between Michigan transfer Jack LaFontaine and Jared Moe. LaFontaine is 7-7-5 with a .913 save percentage and a 2.81 GAA, while Moe is 7-5-1 with a .915 save percentage and a 2.46 GAA.
Up Next
The Big Ten Tournament will begin next weekend (March 6-8) with the quarterfinal series to be hosted at the sites of the higher seeds.
