NCAA Men’s Power Rankings: Michigan moves to the top as Wisconsin sweeps Michigan State
A massive shake-up in the national rankings has come to pass after a thrilling week of college hockey. From upsets to stellar performances, there was plenty to talk about on campuses across the country as we head toward American Thanksgiving.
Once again, the focus was on the Big Ten, as the top teams in Michigan, the Spartans and Wolverines, were in action. However, the two rivals had vastly different outcomes.
See where they lie in the Top 15 this week:
1. Michigan
Record: 13-3-0
Last Week: 2nd
Fans in Ann Arbor hope that what the Wolverines did on the ice last week against Ohio State is what happens a little down the road this Saturday. Michigan ran over the Buckeyes at Yost, outscoring its conference rival by a combined score of 13-3. The maize and blue hardly let OSU breathe, giving the Wolverines the top spot this week. T.J. Hughes scored three goals and five points on the weekend, placing him tied for second in the country in scoring. Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick Will Horcoff notched three points in Saturday’s 8-1 beating, giving him 21 points thus far.
The Wolverines hit the road for the holiday weekend, visiting Harvard for a pair of games.
2. Michigan State
Record: 9-3-0
Last Week: 1st
Not going to lie, Michigan State getting swept at any point this season wasn’t on my bingo card, especially whenever they play at home. Yet, against a strong-willed Wisconsin team, the Spartans failed to get the puck to bounce their way. It wasn’t as if they played bad, losing both games by just one goal, but the team’s inability to keep the puck out of its net brought up the greatest concern. Detroit Red Wings prospect allowed seven goals on 62 shots over the two games.
MSU will look to bounce back this week with a pair of home games against Colgate.
3. Denver
Record: 9-4-1
Last Week: 3rd
Even though they were unable to complete the sweep last week in Tempe, I was very impressed with how strong Denver looked in both games against Arizona State. The Pioneers put the boots to the Sun Devils in Game 1 last Friday, riding a four-point performance from New Jersey Devils draft pick Samu Saliminen to a 7-1 victory. DU ended up getting a point on Saturday, using Sam Harris’ (Montreal Canadiens) two goals to force overtime before falling 3-2, giving the Pioneers four of a possible six points on the road. Salminen ended up with five points in the two games, while Eric Pohlkamp (San Jose Sharks) posted three on Friday night.
The Pioneers get ready for a marquee matchup at Ball Arena on Saturday night, taking on Minnesota in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game.
4. Wisconsin
Record: 10-2-2
Last Week: 9th
I don’t think many of us were all that high on Wisconsin heading into the season, especially with the plethora of talent in the B1G at Michigan, MSU and Penn State. However, the Badgers have proven they’re not to be taken lightly. Four unanswered goals on Friday sent the team to a 5-4 win over Michigan State, before Ben Dexheimer’s overtime winner helped Wisconsin complete the sweep on Saturday. Ottawa Senators draft pick Blake Montgomery scored twice and added an assist over the weekend, and continues to drive a balanced attack that has made them a threat in the Big Ten.
The Badgers are taking Thanksgiving off before heading over to South Bend next week to face Notre Dame.
5. Minnesota Duluth
Record: 12-4-0
Last Week: 4th
Like Denver, I liked how Duluth played in its two-game set against Colorado College. Going from the northern reaches of Minnesota to the high elevation in Colorado Springs can be tough, but the Bulldogs’ best game to play. Max Plante (Red Wings) continued to spearhead the team’s attack, scoring a hat trick in a 4-2 win on Friday, placing him at the top of the country in scoring with 26 points. UMD ran out of gas in the second game, falling 2-1 in overtime, but Chicago Blackhawks draft pick Adam Gajan gave his team a chance to win, making 38 saves in defeat, stopping 56 of the 60 shots he faced.
The Bulldogs are off this week before a marquee road series against…
6. Western Michigan
Record: 9-5-0
Last Week: 6th
Since getting whacked by Denver in their own barn, the Broncos have turned their game up a notch. With injuries kept at a minimum, the defending national champions have bounced back with consecutive sweeps, taking care of Miami at home before vanquishing a very strong Omaha squad on the road last weekend. Western Michigan outshot the Mavericks pretty heavily over the two contests, outscoring the home team 11-4. Seattle Kraken draft pick Zaccharay Wisdom led the charge with three goals and four points in the sweep, while Ty Henricks (New York Rangers) found the back of the net twice in the 7-2 victory last Friday.
The Broncos will use the holiday to rest up before their important two-game set against Duluth at Lawson next weekend.
7. North Dakota
Record: 8-4-0
Last Week: 5th
The Fighting Hawks didn’t play last week, and no, that’s not why they were bumped down the list. They looked good in a 6-1 win over the U.S. Under-18 team last Friday, as the Americans prepared for the CHL USA Prospects Challenge. Now, they look to further establish themselves as one of the best in the NCHC with some conference battles in the future, taking on St. Cloud State and Omaha to kick off December.
Before the team does that, North Dakota will face Bemidji State in a home-and-home on Friday and Saturday.
8. Quinnipiac
Record: 9-3-2
Last Week: 10th
I would say the Bobcats looked pretty convincing last weekend. In taking on a pretty solid Clarkson team and St. Lawrence, both at home, Quinnipiac controlled the play for most of the game, and really never seemed to be out of its comfort zone. Boston Bruins prospect Chris Pelosi led the way with a hat trick against the Golden Knights on Friday, before Mason Marcellus found the back of the net twice against the Saints the following day. If the Bobcats’ special teams can continue to produce, they will only become more dangerous as the season goes on.
The Bobcats have a couple of games around the holiday week. They face off with Holy Cross on Wednesday before hosting Stonehill on Saturday.
9. Penn State
Record: 11-5-0
Last Week: 7th
The Nittany Lions went into their break with their heads a little higher than where they were a few weeks ago. A couple of tough losses to Michigan State led many to wonder how legitimate the team is. Yet, the team rallied to grab a split against Michigan two weeks ago and managed to grab a win in Minneapolis against Minnesota in a tight two-game set. Gavin McKenna played with a little more confidence against the Golden Gophers, posting three assists for the two games, assisting on both of Penn State’s goals in a 2-1 win on Saturday.
Penn State has a ridiculously long layoff before their next game, as the team doesn’t play another game until they take on RIT during the first weekend…in January. The team certainly has to work out some kinks; maybe the time off might give them the opportunity to do just that.
10. Maine
Record: 8-5-1
Last Week: 8th
I wasn’t sure what to think of the Black Bears last weekend. On one hand, they went into a tough environment in the Conte Forum and managed to grab a split against a strong Boston College team. Yet, despite a valiant effort in trying to erase a 3-0 deficit on Friday night, the wheels fell off for Maine in a 7-3 defeat. This team can be very much like a roller coaster. At one point, they’re firing everything at the net, where the next night, which we saw in Saturday’s 3-0 victory, they managed to shut down the other team’s offense. Nevertheless, the Black Bears are playing well enough to stay near the top of the Hockey East standings.
Maine is off for the holiday weekend before playing a two-game set against New Hampshire next week.
11. Northeastern
Record: 8-4-0
Last Week: 12th
I thought the Huskies were solid last weekend against Boston University. Though they only picked up four of six points in the two games against their fellow Bostonian rival, getting outshot in both games as well, Northeastern continues to show signs that this is a much-improved team from last year. Goaltender Quentine Sigurdson went save-for-save with BU netminder Mikhail Yegorov (Devils), making 75 saves in the two games, including 43 in an overtime loss on Saturday. Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Joe Connor scored in Friday’s victory, while Dustin Kryckowian potted a pair in game two.
The Huskies are at Matthews on Saturday night for a clash with ECAC foe Brown.
12. Boston College
Record: 7-5-1
Last Week: 13th
The reason I didn’t give great consideration to moving the Eagles further up the charts was that, even in their sizeable win over Maine on Friday, they allowed the Black Bears’ offense to ramp up. The team’s defense has been inconsistent at times over the past couple of years, forcing BC to rely on its offense to score its way out of trouble. That obviously didn’t work on Saturday as the team was shut out for the first time since the 2024 national championship game, and the first time on home ice since Greg Brown’s first game as head coach in October 2022.
Luka Radivojevic and Bruins prospect James Hagens scored twice in the win in game one, while Teddy Stiga (Nashville Predators) posted three points on Friday. The Eagles get set to host Notre Dame on Friday night.
13. Connecticut
Record: 7-5-3
Last Week: 11th
From everything I’ve heard, the Toscano Family Ice Forum is supposed to give UConn a home-ice advantage. However, from what I’ve seen from both the men’s and women’s teams, that has hardly been the case this year. After falling to New Hampshire last Saturday, the Huskies are just 3-3-1 in Storrs this season. Not necessarily a winning strategy for a team with its eyes on the NCAA Tournament. Connecticut squandered a 3-1 lead to the Wildcats on Saturday, losing 4-3 and missing out on a great chance to get a sweep in conference play. On top of that, the Huskies only tied Stonehill on Tuesday night.
The Huskies are off until the first weekend of December, when they take on Merrimack in a home-and-home.
14. Minnesota State
Record: 8-2-4
Last Week: 15th
Them Mavs keep winning.
Minnesota State is looking like the class of the CCHA once again, and the team is starting to get on a roll at the right time. After sweeping Lake Superior State, the Mavericks came away with a pair of wins over Michigan Tech on home ice last weekend. While the Huskies had a little bit of pushback in the 3-2 decision on Saturday, Mankato had a master class of defensive structure on Friday night, holding the visitors to just 12 shots in a 3-0 win. Boston University transfer Alex Zetterberg led the Mavericks with two goals and an assist.
The Mavs hit the road this weekend for a couple of conference battles with Northern Michigan.
15. Cornell
Record: 6-2-0
Last Week: NR
The team at the top of the ECAC standings continues to roll along. Since losing to Dartmouth earlier this month, Cornell has started to make some noise, using excellent defense and timely scoring to win four games in a row. The team has allowed just five goals during this stretch, coming with a “sweep” last weekend, outscoring Union and RPI 8-2. Utah Mammoth prospect Jonathan Castagna scored twice against RPI, while captain Ryan Walsh (Bruins) picked up five assists in the 6-1 drubbing of the Engineers. Goaltender Alexis Cournoyer (Canadiens) stopped 41 of the 43 shots he faced over the two victories.
The Big Red will have a chance to show off their abilities on a big stage on Saturday night, as they will take on Boston University at Madison Square Garden.
Honorable Mention: Dartmouth (6-0-0), Providence (6-5-2), Massachusetts (8-7-0)