Men's Hockey Update: The Playoffs Begin

Opponent: #18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Where: Compton Family Ice Arena; Notre Dame, Indiana – Friday and Saturday at 7:35 p.m., Sunday at 7:05 p.m. if necessary

Going into last weekend against the Miami Redhawks, the Ohio State Buckeyes had an opportunity to win home ice advantage with just one win across two games. They were unable to do so, losing both games by a combined score of 8-1. The Buckeyes have regressed as the season has gone on, and now they must go on the road to play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. While this isn’t exactly the hottest opponent in the conference—they’ve lost six of their last seven—the fact that OSU must now go on the road exemplifies just how disappointing the second half of this season has been. Not along ago the Buckeyes were the number one team in the CCHA, the number two team in the nation, and they led the conference in most of the major statistical categories. In the entire year of 2012, they amassed just seven points: one win and four shootout losses.

This final series against Miami was particularly frustrating. While the Redhawks are hitting their stride at the right time and are looking like one of the more dangerous teams in the conference, the disparity between the two teams last weekend was frightening. While there were promising moments in each game, by and large they were pushed around by a more experienced, cohesive team. There’s little chance Buckeye fans watched those games and were reassured that this is a team that will make a lot of noise in the CCHA playoffs.

The second-half performance of goalie Cal Heeter has been particularly frustrating. He’s put together a few nice games, but he’s been far too inconsistent after one of the best starts in the country. His final game (on Senior Night!) against Miami was so lackluster that he was pulled after allowing five goals. The Buckeyes will still need to rely on him this weekend at Notre Dame, but he’s going to need to put this last weekend—and the second half of the season—behind him. If there’s good news for the Buckeyes, it’s that the regular season no longer matters. It’s now all about the Fighting Irish, and they just have to focus on one game at a time.

The other good news is that Notre Dame is actually a pretty favorable opponent. They also have been struggling in the second half of the season, and in postseason play the Buckeyes have not lost to the Irish; going 4-0. Two years ago, these teams met at the OSU Ice Rink, where the Buckeyes took care of business quite easily. Both of these teams have been struggling both defensively and offensively, so don’t expect the prettiest of series this weekend in South Bend.

Weekend prediction: Notre Dame takes it in three games, with the Buckeyes pulling one game out in a squeaker. Neither of these teams is significantly better than the other, but the home ice advantage eventually wins out.

Both the Friday and Saturday games can be heard on Scarlet and Gray Sports Radio at OhioStateSports.net. If necessary, the Sunday game will be streamed for free on UND.com or on the radio at 1460 AM Columbus.