It's now or never for the Wisconsin men's hockey team. After a disappointing series in Minnesota last weekend, which UW lost 3-of-4 points, it is time for the Badgers to make a stand or fall to the wayside.
The Badgers (10-11-5 WCHA, 14-13-7 overall) head to St. Cloud State this weekend in what has quickly become the pivotal series in determining the WCHA Playoffs.
Wisconsin currently sits in sole possession of fourth place, which would give the Badgers home ice in the first round of the postseason. However, the Huskies - along with Minnesota State - are only one point behind Wisconsin.
Minnesota State plays Colorado College this weekend, and will definitely have its hands full with the first-place Tigers.
As for Wisconsin, anything less than a split will knock UW out of fourth place, and, depending on how Minnesota State fairs, out of the top-five teams in the conference, forcing Wisconsin to hit the road in the first round of the WCHA Playoffs.
Overall, the Badgers lead the series against the Huskies 38-20-8 and have done surprisingly well at the National Hockey Center with a record of 12-9-4.
The Huskies are once again led by their dynamic pair of sophomore forwards Ryan Lasch and Andreas Nodl. Lasch leads the team with 44 points (21 goals, 23 assists) while Nodl takes a close second with 39 points (17, 22). The Huskies have also received great play from freshman forward Garrett Roe, who has a total of 38 points (17, 21).
The trio of Lasch, Nodl and Roe currently fill the top three spots in the WCHA, as they are all averaging over 1.22 points per game.
There is no doubt that St. Cloud State has the firepower to crush any opponent, which is why UW junior goaltender Shane Connelly will be crucial for the Badgers.
Connelly currently holds a 2.41 GAA. However, that number is misleading. He has played very well during the second half of the season, and his one hiccup came last weekend in Minnesota, where he gave up a total of seven goals.
If Wisconsin gets into a shootout with the Huskies, it could be tough for the Badgers to come out of the weekend unscathed and with home ice in the first round, but that is not to say that the Badgers do not have the ability to score.
Freshman forward Kyle Turris continues to lead the team in points with 30 (11, 19) and junior forward Ben Street is still in second with 28 (12, 16).
In the end, however, it will come down to which team is ready. Wisconsin has had trouble getting off to a good start during the last two weekends, and has had to battle its way back. With a sweep against St. Cloud State, Wisconsin will virtually clinch home ice. Anything less and the Badgers will have to wait for the results of other games, including the final weekend of WCHA play next weekend.
Now is the time for Wisconsin to put the pieces together, as they have tried to do all season. The Badgers need to have a good showing in St. Cloud, otherwise fans will be making travel plans very soon.
