Rolling into the postseason ranked fourth in the Big Ten, 4-seed Wisconsin men’s hockey (21-11-2, 14-10-0 Big Ten) gets home-ice advantage against 5-seed Ohio State (12-20-2, 8-15-1 Big Ten) on Wednesday.
The Big Ten Tournament starts on Wednesday, with the semifinals on Saturday and the final on Mar. 21 hosted by the higher seed.
The format of the tournament is different from previous years, as the quarterfinals, which used to be a best-of-three series, are now a single game. Last season, Wisconsin won game one against Ohio State and fell in games two and three to end their year on a low point.
The Badgers are 2-2 against the Buckeyes this season, winning one home game in November and one away game in February. The Buckeyes aren’t nationally ranked, and their hopes to continue their season in the NCAA Tournament depend on the success of their performance in the Big Ten Tournament.
Players to watch
Gavin Morrissey, with eight goals and 24 assists, leads Wisconsin in points. A top-line center with a .163 shot percentage, Morrissey is a playmaker that is sure to be an integral player on Wednesday.
Junior forward Quinn Finley, despite having a down year from last season, is still a top-line winger who will make an impact in the offensive zone. Coming into the tournament with 15 goals and 14 assists in 32 games, Finley could extend his three-game point streak in Wisconsin’s push for the championship.
On the blue line, senior defenseman Ben Dexheimer had a career year, surpassing his points from last season and his goals from the 2023-24 season. With six goals and 18 assists in 34 games, Dexheimer takes up space on the ice and pressures the opposition. Second in blocked shots for Wisconsin with 46, Dexheimer makes an impact wherever he skates.
Junior defenseman Joe Palodichuk has refined his name as a powerful defender on the ice. In his best season with three goals and 13 points in 31 games, Palodichuk’s agility, speed on entries and vision on shot attempts will be crucial for the Badgers. With 63 blocked shots this season, he is someone Wisconsin relies on in front of the net.
Freshman forward Grady Deering will bring the physicality to playoff hockey. The 6’11,’’ 201 lbs center makes his presence felt on the ice.
Without freshman forward Blake Montgomery due to three game misconducts this season, the Badgers will need to fill the middle-six left wing. Senior forward Kyle Kukkonen is probable to fill the gap.
Tournament outlook
Wisconsin is likely a shoe-in to play in the NCAA tournament, no matter the outcome of the Big Ten Tournament.
The Badgers are No. 4 in power play percentage, while the Buckeyes are No. 16. Both teams are unranked in penalty kill, so the man-advantages during the game are something to watch.
If Wisconsin can crack Ohio State's goaltenders and stand firm against their power play, the Badgers could face Michigan State Saturday.
1-seed Michigan State gets a bye for winning the regular season, sweeping past 2-seed Michigan in the final weeks. 7-seed Notre Dame heads to Ann Arbor to face Michigan — a game the Wolverines are likely to dominate.
6-seed Minnesota travels to 3-seed Penn State. If Penn State cleans up their game from the performance they put on versus Wisconsin, they’ll likely advance to the semifinals to face a predicted Michigan.
The Badgers face off against Ohio State at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Kohl Center.
