Wisconsin’s struggles against Penn State leave the Badgers looking for answers.
Last weekend may have been the nail in the coffin on any postseason aspirations previously held by the Wisconsin Badgers (11-16-3 overall, 6-13-1 B1G), as they are now mired in a four-game losing streak and sit five games below .500 on the year.
This season has been a rollercoaster that saw the Badgers struggle out of the gate before going on a nice run of competitive hockey. Prior to the Border Battle two weeks ago, Wisconsin put themselves in a position to be considered for an at-large bid to the postseason should they not win the B1G tournament. The path was about as straightforward as it gets: just win.
What’s ensued can only be described as the worst stretch of hockey the Badgers have played all year. All four losses on this recent stretch have come by multiple goals, something that Wisconsin had avoided over their previous 20 games and happened only three times all year prior to the recent skid.
A key component to be considered for an at-large bid is the requirement that a team have a true record of at least .500. Wisconsin’s only path to meet that requirement is winning their last four regular season games and producing a winning record in the B1G tournament, a feat that feels like a tall order considering the longest winning streak of the season for the Badgers tops out at three.
The Badgers entered last week’s home series against Penn State (14-11-3 overall, 5-10-3 B1G) facing must-win games, yet managed to get shut out in the opener. While not ideal, the Badgers could have salvaged some hope in game two. Despite scoring first and outshooting the Nittany Lions 41-22, Wisconsin gave up three unanswered goals in the third to lose 6-2 and solidify Penn State’s weekend sweep.
Penalties plagued the Badgers in the second game, as they were whistled for eight of them, which resulted in seven Penn State power plays and two power-play goals, both in the third period. Spending that much time shorthanded certainly helped neutralize the offense, which largely had its way when these teams met earlier in the year.
Sophomore Quinn Finley, who has either led or been near the top of the NCAA scoring list all year, was held without a goal over the weekend and has not produced a point in the last four games. Wisconsin’s offense is largely reliant on Finley, and with him held in check the top line has struggled to produce. It’s been hard for Wisconsin to find scoring outside of the first line, which makes for tough sledding when the top line struggles as they have the last few weeks.
It’s not been the campaign Mike Hastings was hoping for in his second year at the helm of the Badgers, who came into the year with a re-tooled roster looking to build on the NCAA tournament appearance last season. Barring a late surge, Hastings is set to finish a season below .500 for the first time in his 26-year head coaching career at the collegiate and junior levels, in large part due to nine one-goal losses on the year including six overtime defeats. The Badgers have simply found themselves on the wrong side of too many coin flips this year with their inability to execute late.
Wisconsin travels to Columbus this weekend looking to avenge their sweep at the hands of No. 8 Ohio State earlier this year. Considering the results of their last four games, it will be interesting to see which version of the Badgers shows up beginning Friday night. Pride is on the line against the Buckeyes, as is any outside hope of an unlikely late-season run.