NCAA Men’s Power Rankings: Penn State splits with Michigan, upsets in the NCHC
After a rough weekend in East Lansing, Penn State had a crucial weekend series against Michigan. While the Nittany Lions were unable to pull out a sweep at home, a win on Saturday has given the team a little bit of optimism as we head toward the holiday season.
There were plenty of other exciting matchups across college hockey last week, with upsets and standout performances coming to the forefront. It’s led to a shakeup in the national rankings and this week’s Power Rankings.
Let’s see which teams are still in the Top 15 this week:
1. Michigan State
Record: 9-1-0
Last Week: 1st
After their big weekend sweep at home against the Nittany Lions, the Spartans were on the road last weekend against longtime rival Notre Dame. Playing in Compton can be tough on teams, but Michigan State proved it can win gutsy games as well. Philadelphia Flyers draft pick Porter Martone proved to be the difference maker, scoring the game-winning goals in both games. Trey Augustine (Detroit Red Wings) was exceptional, turning away 52 of the 54 shots he faced in the weekend sweep.
The Spartans are back at Munn for a couple of exciting matchups against Wisconsin this weekend.
2. Michigan
Record: 11-3-0
Last Week: 2nd
Had the Wolverines not fallen behind 3-0 to Penn State last Saturday, and completed the sweep, I might’ve considered putting them at the top of the list. This team has been that good over the past month. In a 7-1 shellacking on Friday night, Adam Valentini put up three points, while Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nick Moldenhauer scored a goal and an assist, notching three points on the weekend. Will Horcoff (Pittsburgh Penguins) scored in both games.
Michigan is back in Ann Arbor this weekend for a pair of games against Ohio State.
3. Denver
Record: 8-3-1
Last Week: 8th
This Pioneers team is rolling. After a very sluggish start, David Carle’s squad is starting to look like the squad that has made it to the Frozen Four in three of the past four years. In a tough home-and-home against Colorado College, DU won a pair of one-goal games to extend the team’s win streak to five. They rallied to win 2-1 in overtime on Friday night before holding off a strong Tigers push to come away with a 3-2 victory. San Jose Sharks prospect Eric Pohlkamp continues his strong start, scoring the tying goal on Friday, while Quentin Miller (Montreal Canadiens) stopped 67 of the 70 shots he faced over the weekend.
Denver can’t get too head of itself, as the team heads to Tempe for a weekend set against Arizona State.
4. Minnesota Duluth
Record: 11-3-0
Last Week: 4th
Don’t let the loss last Saturday to Omaha fool you, these Bulldogs have firepower that makes them miserable to play against. Even though the team posted a bagel on the scoreboard in the second game against the Mavericks, Duluth is a team that is relentless when its attack gets going. Defenseman Ty Hanson potted a hat trick in the 5-2 win on Friday, while Jayson Shaugabay (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Zam Plante (Penguins) each posted multiple assists. There’s some room for improvement, but I liked how UMD looked last week.
The Bulldogs have another important NCHC test this coming weekend in Colorado Springs against the Tigers.
5. North Dakota
Record: 8-4-0
Last Week: 3rd
I thought the Fighting Hawks had a prime chance to continue to look like a dominant force in the NCHC. A 5-2 victory over Arizona State last Friday proved that, but UND’s lack of finish was evident on Saturday. Even though they outshot the Sun Devils 41-15, they still lost, 4-2. It was a performance that we’ve seen too often from North Dakota over the past couple of years, and why they haven’t won a conference championship in four years. Boston Bruins draft pick Will Zellers scored twice in the win on Friday, while Ben Strinden (Nashville Predators) scored twice on Saturday.
North Dakota is off from regular-season action this week, hosting the U.S. Under-18 team on Friday night.
6. Western Michigan
Record: 7-5-0
Last Week: 6th
The Broncos were slapped around on home ice against Denver two weeks ago. While they only met a lowly Miami team this past week, they were sure to leave no doubt. Western Michigan outscored the RedHawks 11-4 in a weekend sweep, with New York Rangers prospect Ty Henricks scoring twice on Saturday, totaling three points on the weekend. William Whitelaw (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Iiro Hakkarainen both had two-point nights in Game 2 of the weekend.
WMU now has a tough task ahead: facing Omaha on the road for a pair of games.
7. Penn State
Record: 10-4-0
Last Week: 5th
I know the Nittany Lions grabbed a split against the Wolverines, but that loss last Friday was…bad. For a program that prides itself on having home-ice advantage at Pegula, they were embarrassed in the first game of the series. Losing 7-1 in Hockey Valley made me wonder if this Penn State team was all hype. Thankfully, Penn State didn’t have a total bummer of a weekend, coming away with a 4-2 win to snap a three-game losing streak. Goaltender Joshua Fleming certainly outplayed teammate and Ottawa Senators prospect Kevin Reidler, stopping 32 of the 34 shots he faced in Saturday’s win.
The Nittany Lions get set for a tough road series with Minnesota this weekend.
8. Maine
Record: 7-4-1
Last Week: 7th
I wasn’t happy with the Black Bears this past weekend. Being at home, against a pesky, but beatable, Vermont team, I thought Maine was going to waltz to a couple of wins. They certainly showed it in the first game of the weekend, hammering the Catamounts, 7-0, but, despite outshooting Vermont by an even wider margin on Saturday, they failed to complete the sweep. Hockey East is certainly a tough conference, but the Black Bears left me wanting (a lot) more after last week.
The Black Bears have a tough test this weekend, as they visit Boston College for a two-game set.
9. Wisconsin
Record: 8-2-2
Last Week: 9th
I kept going back and forth on whether the Badgers did enough for me to push them up the charts, but how they almost blew the game on Saturday night irked me. This Wisconsin team has the potential to be a top team in the Big Ten, but the team needs to find a higher level of efficiency and realize that moral victories don’t show up in the win column. Logan Hensler (Senators) and Oliver Tulk led the Badgers with three points each in a 6-5 overtime win in Game 2.
The Badgers get ready to face the top team in the nation, Michigan State, in a two-game set this weekend.
10. Quinnipiac
Record: 7-3-2
Last Week: 10th
The Bobcats had just one game last weekend, but that was enough to impress yours truly and many across the country. Quinnipiac made Boston University look like an inferior opponent, outshooting the Terriers 49-33, riding great games from Mason Marcellus and Antonin Verreault to run away with a 6-2 victory. The Canadian boys each put up three points in the win, giving the Bobcats back-to-back victories.
Quinnipiac jumps back into ECAC action this weekend, hosting Clarkson and St. Lawrence.
11. Connecticut
Record: 6-4-2
Last Week: 13th
As I said last week, I was disappointed with how UConn played against Providence. However, the Huskies rectified my belief in them with a couple of strong performances in a home-and-home against Northeastern. Jake Percival played the hero on Friday night, posting a hat trick, including the game-winner, in a 4-2 win, while Joey Muldowney (Sharks) scored in the overtime marker on Saturday to complete the sweep. If UConn can play more like they did last weekend on a nightly basis, they are going to be in the thick of the Hockey East title race once again.
The Huskies have a couple of games against New Hampshire this coming weekend.
12. Northeastern
Record: 7-3-0
Last Week: 12th
These Huskies put up a great fight against UConn last weekend, but just didn’t have enough firepower to keep up with their HEA rival. It hurts that Northeastern squandered a 3-0 lead on home ice on Saturday, as the team seemingly let its foot off the gas. It’s a good learning lesson for a Northeastern squad that can be competitive in the conference, but needs to find that finish to hang with the best. Dylan Compton scored in both games for Northeastern.
The Huskies now get to face crosstown rival Boston University in a home-and-home this weekend
13. Boston College
Record: 6-4-1
Last Week: NR
From the depths of honorable mention, the Eagles have returned!
Since getting swept by Northeastern to end October, Boston College has rallied with four wins in a row, including a strong sweep over UMass this past weekend. After Colorado Avalanche draft pick Louka Cloutier shut out the Minutemen on Friday, Boston Bruins prospects James Hagens and Dean Letourneau led BC to a wild 7-3 victory on Saturday. Hagens is tied with Jake Sondreal, who scored twice in Game 1 against Massachusetts, for the team lead in scoring with 11 points.
The Eagles get a chance to make a statement at home this weekend with a pair of games against Maine.
14. Dartmouth
Record: 6-0-0
Last Week: NR
It’s been a long time since the Big Green has ever been considered a top team in the country, but this Ivy League school has been looking good early on. Dartmouth has given up just seven goals this season, allowing one in each of its past five games. Last weekend, they proved they were to be taken seriously with wins over St. Lawrence and Clarkson, outscoring their opponents 9-2. Nathan Morin potted a hat trick against the Saints, potting four goals on the weekend.
The Big Green has some non-conference action this weekend, taking on Vermont and Merrimack on home ice.
15. Minnesota State
Record: 6-2-4
Last Week: NR
Coming out of the CCHA, the Mavericks are once again going to be playing the dark horse on the national scene. After a rather bumpy start, which included a pair of ties against Wisconsin and a split with Omaha, Minnesota State has started to pick up steam. The team has lost just one of its past 11 games, including sweeping conference Lake Superior State, on the road, this past weekend. Evan Murr had himself a weekend, scoring both goals, including the winner in overtime, on Friday, before adding a couple of assists in a 4-2 victory the following night.
The Mavs are back in Mankato this weekend, facing a tough test in Michigan Tech.
Honorable Mention: Boston University (5-6-1), Massachusetts (7-6-0), Cornell (4-2-0)