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Sofia CrimiVaroli | The Observer Right now, the Big Ten is a conference of haves and have-nots. Two teams — Michigan State and Wisconsin — already have more than 30 points. The next four teams are separated by just seven points, but none have more than 20. Notre Dame currently sits atop that group, although they should probably have a much more secure grip on that spot than they do. Five straight losses in conference play (before beating Ohio State 5-2 on Saturday) created a sizable gap between the Irish and the conference’s leap and a marginal one between the rest of the conference.
If the season ended today, the Irish would have a home-ice advantage in the first round of the Big Ten playoffs. However, they lead No. 4 seed Minnesota by just one point and No. 5 seed Michigan (who wouldn’t have home ice in Round 1) by only six. Penn State sits just 1 point back of the Wolverines themselves, and the Irish must widen the gap between themselves and the Nittany Lions, who they host this weekend at Compton Family Ice Arena. March is both right around the corner and so far away — the Irish have completed just over 50% of their Big Ten slate so far, holding an uninspiring 5-7-2 record against conference foes.
Perhaps that skid-snapping victory on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, can be a turning point for the Irish. Notre Dame’s five goals were tied for their second most in a conference game and their most since Dec. 1 against Michigan. That night was also the last time the Irish scored first in conference play, with the team netting just one goal in the first period across their previous three contests. The Irish didn’t over-rely on graduate student goaltender Ryan Bischel as they have at times in the last two seasons, peppering the Buckeyes with 43 shots on goal. Even the struggling Irish power-play, last in the Big Ten at 17.5%, lit the lamp courtesy of senior forward Landon Slaggert.
In theory, Penn State’s play fits right into Notre Dame’s strengths. The Nittany Lions are third in the Big 10 with 3.73 goals per game and lead the conference in shots per game, averaging just under 40. However, they’re last in the Big 10 by a decent margin in goals against per game (3.68) and neither special teams unit is anything special.
The two teams met earlier this year in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania. Both games went as far as possible, with a shootout deciding each one. The Irish got the extra point in the series opener thanks to a pair of power-play goals, with freshman forward Maddox Fleming tying the game on the man advantage midway through the third period. The Irish jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead on Saturday only for Penn State to tie the game on a last-minute tally by Dylan Lugris. Xander Lampa scored the only goal of the shootout to send the fans home happy.
Like the Irish, Penn State is just 1-5 in its last six conference contests, with a wild 7-6 win over Army in the middle. Penn State doesn’t have the flashiest roster — only three of its players are NHL draft picks. They also had below-average goaltending, with both goaltenders holding sub-.890 save percentages. What the Nittany Lions do have is a nice arsenal of quality scorers. While the Irish only have one player at 20 points (Slaggert), Penn State has four, plus Matt DiMarsico at 19. Aiden Fink is just outside the top 10 in scoring in the nation with a team-high 27 points. He and Ryan Kirwan have also potted a dozen goals apiece.
The puck drops for the series opener on Friday night at Compton Family Ice Arena at 7:30 p.m. Saturday’s finale begins at 6 p.m. The Irish have been much better at home (9-6) than on the road (2-5-2) this season. They’ll be counting on their home-ice advantage to help propel their positioning in the Big Ten.
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