It may be hard to believe, but at long last, the Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey team returned to the win column. Sure, it may have come against the Big Ten’s last-place team in Notre Dame, but as the saying
goes, “they don’t ask how, they ask how many.”
In the case of the No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers (17-9-2, 10-8 B1G) last weekend, the answer to “how many” is two. It was the first two-game Big Ten sweep since the last series against Notre Dame on December 5-6. Ironically enough, it was also the last time the Badgers won a Big Ten game.
The six-game losing streak felt like it would never end, and that feeling surely did not dissipate when Wisconsin allowed an equalizer to Notre Dame’s Evan Werner to complete his hat trick with 1:09 remaining in regulation. The feeling did, however, subside when junior Quinn Finley broke the tie 1:17 into the overtime period to send the Kohl Center crowd home happy.
Finley himself was pretty fired up, throwing his stick into the crowd to earn a 10-minute game misconduct after the fact. No matter, the way the players on the ice reacted, you would think they just won the Stanley Cup. And who could fault them? Wisconsin was desperate for a win that felt like it might never come, especially after blowing a 5-2 lead over the last period and a half.
The second game’s theatrics were not quite the same, but the Badgers did need to overcome a one-goal deficit in a back-and-forth game with Gavin Morrissey’s game-winning goal midway through the third period.
After a 12-2-2 start that had many wondering if this might be the best team in college hockey, Wisconsin now sits 17-9-2 thanks to its two tight victories against a team with just one conference win this season. If the NCAA Tournament began today, the Badgers would likely have a spot, but logging more wins down the stretch will be necessary if that position is to feel more secure. If the team that was playing in November and December doesn’t show up a few more times between now and March 6, they’ll be sitting at home, lest they win the Big Ten Tournament.
If you’re looking at the statistical win probability against the remaining schedule, analytics would tell you this weekend’s trip to Ohio State (10-15-1, 6-10 B1G) might be their best chance at a couple of wins. Analytics fails to account for whatever black magic the Buckeyes seem to conjure every time they’ve played Wisconsin over the last two years.
Allow us to revisit…
- February 16-17, 2024: A resurgent Wisconsin is in the driver’s seat for a Big Ten title and completely no-show in Columbus against a team that’d won two conference games to that point. Badgers ultimately lose the Big Ten to Michigan State by two points.
- March 8-10, 2024: Badgers enter Big Ten Tournament as the two-seed, hosting last-place Ohio State in a best-of-three quarterfinal. The Buckeyes completely took the air out of the Kohl Center on night one. Wisconsin forced a game three in which they were run out of the arena. They eventually went on to face Quinnipiac in the NCAA Tournament and seemed a bit broken before losing in overtime.
- October 18-19, 2024: With high hopes entering the season, Wisconsin initially stumbles at home against Lindenwood to shake everyone’s confidence. Wondering if it was a fluke, Ohio State comes to town and strangles the Badgers in some low-scoring affairs to start the year 1-3 with a trip to No. 1 Denver on the horizon. Wisconsin lost six of its first seven games in what ended up being a completely lost season.
- March 7-9, 2025: The tables are turned from the 2024 Big Ten Quarterfinal; Ohio State now hosts a now mostly lifeless Wisconsin. The Badgers explode for a huge win in the opening game. With a chance to avenge all the wrongdoings the Buckeyes perpetrated over the last year, Wisconsin blows a 2-0 lead in game two with 1:29 left, ultimately losing in overtime. The teams took a 1-1 tie into the third period of game three, but Ohio State scored two goals in the final ten minutes to put it away.
- November 14-15, 2025: Wisconsin is never competitive in game one, whatever, we get it. We can’t beat these guys. Badgers then go down 2-0 early in game two, standard. Craziness ensues, Wisconsin scores the next four goals, but eventually blows their own 5-3 lead in the last ten minutes. Gavin Morrissey changes the stars with an electric walk-off goal in overtime.
I struggle to say Morrissey broke the curse; it took a wild game with the offense humming to have a chance to get it done. This weekend presents an opportunity to further rid themselves of Ohio State’s evil.
The power play needs to turn it around if they’re going to have a shot. The Buckeyes always play the Badgers with tough, disciplined hockey to limit odd man rushes and rarely allow them to get comfortable running a set offense. Wisconsin is showing recent signs of life offensively as the locker room continues to shake the injury bug (aside from Logan Hensler, who could be lost for quite some time), but their best chances are likely to come if they can get to the man advantage.
The offense may very well be good enough to win both nights, but the big question mark surrounding the Badgers right now is their goaltending. What seemed to be a strength at times early this season has suddenly turned into a real problem. Hauser, the promising freshman, has surrendered 20 goals in his last five starts. Minnesota State transfer Eli Pulver showed some mettle with some wins against then-No. 1 Michigan State but has since failed to finish three of his last four starts, including last Saturday after giving up three different leads by the midway point.
The guys in the crease will have to play better if Wisconsin is going to make the NCAA Tournament, plain and simple. They had no answer for a poor Notre Dame squad last week, and the loss of Logan Hensler up front only makes life more difficult in the crease. Hauser seems the most reasonable option going forward, and a return to early-season form could signal a resurgence down the stretch.
Expect freshman Luke Osburn to continue playing a bigger role as the season wears on. He ranks second among first-year defensemen in scoring and has looked better and better throughout the year, including a huge four-point weekend that got him named the Big Ten’s second star last week.
I mentioned win probabilities, and, well, the road doesn’t get any easier from here. After Ohio State, the Badgers get No. 1 Michigan at home before going to No. 6 Penn State to wrap up the regular season. Each and every game is an indictment of their playoff lives. Split every series, and you have to like Wisconsin’s chances, especially if they can get through a Big Ten Quarterfinal. With a seven-point lead over Minnesota, they are currently in line to host the opening round series.
If Wisconsin peppers in another sweep, you’d feel even better, especially if it’s one of the final two series.
Either way, Wisconsin is in playoff hockey mode every night until the season ends. Last weekend was the wakeup call where two wins were necessary, yet they sure made them close. But they don’t ask how, they ask how many. And that’s the question for the Badgers over the next six games.
Other Badgers in the Olympics:
Sadly, for the first time since 1972, there are no University of Wisconsin men’s hockey representatives in the Olympics. The most likely candidate this year, with NHL players returning, would have been Cole Caufield.
Not a total shutout! The women’s team has 12 representatives, including five current players who will be vying for a national title the moment they finish playing for a gold medal in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Check out how the ladies are faring, including Team USA superstar Caroline Harvey.
Game Info
Date: February 13-14
Time: Friday – 5:30 p.m. | Saturday – 6:30 p.m.
Place: Columbus, Ohio | Schottenstein Center
TV: Friday – B1G+, Saturday – BTN | Radio: Friday – 1070 AM, Saturday – 1310 WIBA
