• The Big Ten regular season concludes this weekend with five teams battling for three home playoff slots. No. 1/1 Minnesota has already clinched the regular season title and a berth into the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. The Gophers, consensus No. 1 in the polls, play host to No. 8/7 Ohio State, which is tied with No. 4/4 Michigan for second place in the Big Ten standings. The Wolverines entertain No. 20/19 Notre Dame as the teams meet for the first time since splitting a November series in South Bend. The Fighting Irish are coming off a bye week and look to finish .500 or better in conference play for the 11th-straight season. No. 10/10 Penn State is home against Wisconsin, a team it swept in late October. Michigan State is idle after concluding its conference slate last week having doubled its points total from a season ago. The Spartans have hopes of hosting their first-ever Big Ten Tournament game.
• High-octane offenses have fueled the Big Ten this season with four teams ranked among the Top 15 in scoring. Minnesota (4.06) and Michigan (4.00) stand second and third respectively, joining national leader Western Michigan (4.09) as the only schools to average over four goals per game. Minnesota’s offense has generated 355 points – most in the NCAA – while Ohio State leads the nation in shorthanded goals (10), lending credence to the theory that the best defense (when killing penalties) is a good offense. In terms of NCAA statistics, the Big Ten also features several individual leaders. Minnesota’s Matthew Knies, Big Ten First Star of the Week, leads the country with seven game-winning goals while Adam Fantilli of Michigan paces the nation in points (1.81) and assists (1.11) per game.
• Five Big Ten schools rank among the Top 15 teams in the Pairwise Rankings, a statistical formula that emulates the selection process for at-large bids to the 16-team NCAA Tournament. Minnesota holds down the top spot with Michigan listed third, Penn State seventh, Ohio State eighth and Notre Dame tied for 14th.
• Big Ten teams have drawn two of the top three crowds in college hockey this season. The Michigan-Ohio State Faceoff on the Lake outdoor game last Saturday (Feb. 18) attracted 45,523 fans to FirstEngery Stadium. That came on the heels of the Michigan State-Michigan “Duel in the D” contest that…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Big Ten Conference…