Michigan Hockey Preview: No. 2 Wolverines host No. 10 Wisconsin

SB Nation

The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines (9-1-0) quickly recovered from their first loss of the season with two road victories over Notre Dame to open Big Ten play. Looking to build off this reestablished momentum,

the Wolverines are set to face their toughest challenge of the season so far with No. 10 Wisconsin coming to Yost.

Against the Badgers, the Wolverines will rely on the hot scoring stick of sophomore Will Horcoff (10G, 4A). The nation’s second-leading goal scorer is fresh off a three-goal performance against the Irish that included the overtime-winner on Saturday. Horcoff is one of six point-per-game Wolverines for an offense that has scored 12 more goals than any team in the country.

On the blue line, Michigan took its first big loss of the season with the news that freshman Henry Mews is out for the season due to injury. He had been the power-play quarterback for Michigan’s top-ranked unit and was second on the team with nine assists. Fortunately, the Wolverines have depth to mitigate the loss at full strength, but it remains to be seen how head coach Brandon Naurato plans to replicate his power-play play-making.

Between the pipes, Jack Ivankovic continues to impress with his skill and poise. The true freshman leads the Big Ten with 212 saves, and his .934 save percentage ranks third. Against Notre Dame, he withstood waves of attacks in a 30-save performance in Game 1, and helped bail out his teammates facing a continued power play in overtime of Game 2.

Getting to Know Wisconsin

Head coach Mike Hastings has his best team to date in Madison. In Year 3, the Badgers are off to a hot 6-0-2 start and have fully rebounded from last season’s disastrous 13-win campaign. Similar to Michigan, one of the biggest differentiators for Wisconsin this season has been the man in the net.

True freshman Daniel Hauser leads the Big Ten with a .940 save percentage and 1.41 GAA, a dramatic increase from Tommy Scarfone’s .900/2.61 showing last season. Moreover, Hauser has not allowed more than three goals in a single game and already has two shutouts to his name.

Building off Hauser’s reliability, Wisconsin has become the nation’s best scoring defense among teams that have played more than six games. However, for context, the best offense the Badgers have faced is Lindenwood, which is ranked a pedestrian No. 31 in the country. Among the D-men, watch for preseason All-Big Ten senior Ben Dexheimer (5A) and talented true freshman Luke Osburn (1G, 3A). Although more defensive-minded, Dexheimer proved he could light it up with a 28-point season as a sophomore.

Up front, Wisconsin relies on a deep and balanced attack. Christian Fitzgerald (6G, 3A), Quinn Finley (5G,4A), Simon Tassy (4G, 5A) and Gavin Morrissey (0G, 8A), are all playing at a point-per-game pace, and true freshman Blake Montgomery (4G, 0A) was just named the Big Ten’s First Star of the Week.

Key to the Game

Start fast and get to the power play. The Badgers have enjoyed an easy schedule to begin the season, with only one series against a ranked opponent (two ties against Minnesota State), no conference games and only one series away from home (Lindenwood). It is important to get the Badgers uncomfortable early and see how they respond to adversity on the road.

Additionally, if Michigan can dictate terms early, it increases the likelihood of going on the power play. Wisconsin has only allowed 11 goals all season, but five have been scored against the Badgers’ No. 25 penalty-kill. Michigan is averaging nearly two power-play goals per game and is the only team in the nation converting over 40 percent.