Michigan to Travel to No. 8 Ohio State for Final Series of Regular Season

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team (17-12-3, 11-9-2 Big Ten) travels to No. 8 Ohio State (20-10-2, 13-8-1 Big Ten) this week, the final weekend of the regular season with major implications on not only Big Ten standings, but Pairwise rankings. Games at Value City Arena are slated for Thursday (Feb. 27) at 8 p.m., and Friday (Feb. 28) at 6 p.m., with both to be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.

Notes

• The first three seeds in the Big Ten Tournament have already been secured, leaving the final home-ice slot up for grabs. Michigan sits fourth in the conference standings with 32 points, while Penn State is one point behind with 31. The Nittany Lions host Minnesota this weekend, with the outcomes of both series determining that final hosting spot.

• Michigan moved up one place in the Pairwise rankings, after a bye week, to No. 11, just one spot below Ohio State. Sixteen teams will be selected with six auto bids.

• Michigan and Ohio State split the first series of the season, with OSU winning 4-3 at Wrigley Field before Michigan took a 3-2 game in overtime two days later at Yost Ice Arena. Michigan leads 97-52-16 in the all-time series against OSU. The Wolverines won both games at Schottenstein Center last year.

• The Wolverines power play ranks sixth nationally at 26.2 percent, compared to the Buckeyes 38th-ranked group (19.2 percent). Both teams are nearly even in penalty killing with Michigan at 78.5 and OSU at 78.7 percent.

• Michigan is 6-0-3 in overtime games this season, the most OT games since the 1997-98 team played seven en route to the national championship, also an OT game.

• The Wolverines head into the weekend with a 17-12-3 overall record. Offensively, they are led by junior T.J. Hughes, who has 35 points in 32 games. Freshman Michael Hage is not far behind with 32 points, carrying a team-best 19 assists. Evan Werner has 22 points and Garrett Schifsky has 20.

• Hughes extended his point streak to 15 games -- the longest in the NCAA this season -- with a point each night against Minnesota. It is the longest streak by a Wolverine since Kyle Connor (27 games), JT Compher (18) and Tyler Motte (16) in 2015-16.

• Eight former Michigan players will be facing off on Saturday (March 1) in the NHL Stadium Series in Columbus when the Detroit Red Wings (Dylan Larkin, Compher, Andrew Copp and Motte) take on the Columbus Blue Jackets (Zach Werenski, Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson and Jack Johnson).