Michigan to Head to Ohio State for Final Series Before Holiday Break

Friday, December 10

Columbus, Ohio

7:00 PM

Michigan

Ohio State

Thomas Bordeleau (Michigan Photography)

Michigan to Head to Ohio State for Final Series Before Holiday Break

12/8/2021 3:46:00 PM | Ice Hockey

By: Kristy McNeil

» No. 3-ranked Michigan will take on No. 17 Ohio State on Friday and Saturday (Dec. 10-11) in Columbus. Both games will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
» U-M has recorded two shutouts in its last two games against Ohio State and have won four of the last five meetings.
» Michigan will be without Owen Power and Kent Johnson this weekend as they report to Hockey Canada for World Juniors camp.

• Complete Game Notes (PDF)

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The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team sits in first place in the Big Ten standings and looks to build on that lead in its final series before the holiday break. The Wolverines take on No. 17 Ohio State on Friday and Saturday (Dec. 10-11) in Columbus. The Buckeyes sit five points back of the Wolverines in the standings. Both games will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.

Wolverine Bites

• Michigan is 13-5 on the year after a series split with the Minnesota last weekend. The Wolverines check in at No. 3 in both the USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls this week.

• A pair of second-year superstars lead U-M in scoring with 23 points apiece. Kent Johnson has four goals and 19 assists, while Owen Power checks in with three goals and 20 helpers (second in the nation). Michigan will be without both players as they will report to the Hockey Canada World Juniors camp this week.

• Following the two Canadians are a trio of Americans. Brendan Brisson has notched 10 goals in addition to 11 assists for 21 points, while the team's leading scorer, Matty Beniers with 11 goals, has added nine assists for 20 points. Rounding out the top five is last year's leading point-getter, Thomas Bordeleau, with 6-13--19.

• Michael Pastujov's natural hat trick vs. Minnesota was his first career three-goal game and led to his being named the Big Ten First Star of the Week on Wednesday (Dec. 8).

• Jacob Truscott has chipped in eight points while leading the team with a +15 rating. His defensive partner, standout freshman Luke Hughes, checks in at +13 with 16 points.

• Owen Power leads the team in shot blocks with 21, followed by Nick Blankenburg (18) and Hughes (17).

• Sophomore goaltender Erik Portillo has started every game in net for the Wolverines, assembling a 13-5 record with one shutout, a .913 save percentage, and a 2.37 goals-against-average.

Scouting the Buckeyes

• Entering the weekend, Ohio State is 9-5 overall while going 5-3 in their first eight Big Ten games.

• OSU has a balanced forward corps led by Georgii Merkulov (four goals, seven assists, 11 points), Tate Singleton (4-4--8), Jake Wise (3-5--8), Travis Treloar (5-2-7) and former U-M commit Gustaf Westlund (4-3-7).

• Freshman defenseman Mason Lohrei, last year's 58th-overall selection in the NHL entry draft, leads Ohio St. in assists (10) and points (12) while acting as a steady two-way threat.

• Coming out of Ostrava, Czech Republic, 6-foot-4 freshman netminder Jakub Dobes has been a revelation for Ohio State, playing in all but one game. He has turned aside 316 shots while allowing just 26 goals against for a .924 save percentage and a 2.14 goals-against average.

• Special teams have been a concern so far this season for Ohio State. The Buckeyes have the nation's 43rd-ranked power play (14.3 percent) in addition to sporting a penalty-kill percentage of 73, 52nd-best, which has consistently weighed them down.

Series History

• Traditional Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Michigan have been competing in ice hockey for nearly 70 years. Over that span, Michigan holds a commanding 87-48-14 lead in the all-time series.

• On the road in Columbus, the Wolverines hold a 40-28-6 edge over OSU.

• The last time Michigan made the Frozen Four (2018), OSU also was a semifinalist.

• The Wolverines have won five of their last seven games vs. Ohio State. Last season, U-M swept at home (4-2, 5-0) before splitting on the road (3-2 L, 6-0 W) and eventually eliminating Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament (4-0) for three shutouts in five games.

Up Next

Wednesday, Dec. 29 -- vs. Michigan Tech - Great Lakes Invitational (Yost Ice Arena), 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 30 -- vs. Western Michigan - Great Lakes Invitational (Yost Ice Arena), 7 p.m.