I knew last week would be a bit painful. Perhaps I should be grateful for any week in which I at least break even.
Last week: 4-3-1 (.562)
Season to date: 51-29-15 (.616)
Wrong-way splits … sigh.
This week
It’s a full slate of CCHA action this week, with 10 teams playing and Bowling Green off. All series are Friday-Saturday. All games are at 7:05 p.m. local time unless otherwise noted.
Lake Superior State at No. 6 Notre Dame. The Lakers split a series with the Buckeyes at home last week, losing 4-1 and winning 3-2. The Fighting Irish split at home with North Dakota, losing 2-1 and winning 5-2. LSSU junior Kevin Kapalka returned to play for Saturday’s win, having been out since Oct. 26. ND junior Anders Lee scored a bunch of goals for the Irish, but if you want to know exactly how many, I suggest you talk to ND coach Jeff Jackson. The teams split a pair in Sault Ste. Marie nearly a year ago this weekend. Friday’s game begins at 7:35 p.m. ND 3-2, 3-2
No. 4 Miami at Alaska. The RedHawks were off last weekend, having last played Nov. 16-17 at home, a series against Michigan State in which Miami captured five points with a 2-2 tie and 2-0 win. Miami is undefeated in its last five games (3-0-2). Last weekend, the Nanooks took one point away from their road series against Northern Michigan, losing 4-3 in overtime and tying 2-2 the following night. Last season, the RedHawks won two 2-1 games in Fairbanks (Nov. 4-5) and Miami is 5-0-1 in its last six road games against Alaska. Miami 2-1, 2-1
Michigan at No. 17 Ferris State. The Wolverines are 2-4-0 in their last six, including a 5-1 loss to Cornell in Madison Square Garden last Saturday and a 3-1 home win over Bowling Green the night before Thanksgiving. The Bulldogs, off last weekend, are 4-2-0 in their last six and ride a three-game win streak into this weekend, having swept Bowling Green on the road, 4-3 (OT) and 3-1, Nov. 16-17. UM swept FSU in Yost Ice Arena Oct. 27-28, 2011. FSU 3-2, UM 3-2
Northern Michigan at No. 10 Western Michigan. At home last weekend, the Wildcats took five points from Alaska. Alaska was also the last team that the Broncos played, Nov. 16-17, a split in Fairbanks before WMU took the Thanksgiving weekend off. WMU swept NMU in Kalamazoo Oct. 28-29, 2011 (4-2, 3-2 OT). The Broncos are 4-0-0 against the Wildcats in their last four meetings. WMU 3-2, NMU 3-2
Ohio State at Michigan State. Last weekend, the Buckeyes split a pair of road games versus Lake Superior, winning 4-1 and losing 3-2. The Spartans were off last weekend, having last played Nov. 16-17, two road games against Miami that resulted in a 2-2 tie and 2-0 loss. MSU was 3-1-0 against OSU last season, losing 3-0 and winning 5-2 at home Oct. 20-21, 2011, and sweeping on the road, 6-3 and 3-2, Feb. 3-4. Friday’s game begins at 8:05 p.m., Saturday’s at 6:05 p.m. OSU 3-1, MSU 3-1
