2025-26 PSU Men's Ice Hockey Thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
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No. 6 Penn State men’s hockey loses to No. 2 Michigan in a shootout, earns a tie in NCAA standings
Sixth-ranked Penn State, after its last bye week of the regular season, traveled north to Ann Arbor for a top-six matchup against No. 2 Michigan on Friday, the first of
Penn State men's hockey's Jackson Smith breaks single-season record for goals by defenseman
There's a new record holder at Penn State.
PSU just can't get over the hump against top teams. 0-4 against MSU even though the games were close. Tonight they lose in a shootout to Michigan. It's like they're haunted by the ghost of James Franklin.
Important to note that officially last night was a tie in the NPI calculations. We are closer to 3 than 6 is to us. Getting a W tonight would be big.
I understand that but at some point you have to win against top opponents. PSU has gone toe to toe against the best teams but hasn't been able to get over the hump. You're correct that a win tonight would be big.
Concur. What is hard to translate in college hockey sometimes (even I think more than many other college sports) is how good are teams at tops of conferences. Take the top 10 teams right now. Hard to tell once get to regionals are the ECAC and HEA teams really strong if they match up with NCHC or B1G teams and vice versa. PSU could really be the 3rd best team in the country right now or they could be the 10th best. And in college hockey it is much easier for there to be an upset.
I do like that right now still have a very legit shot at being a regional 1 or 2 seed. Of course a 1 would be preferred.
It’s difficult without the top two centermen. The team right now has the feel of one that can win in the first round of the tourney but might struggle to get out of the regional depending who they are grouped with. I emphasize right now, for those who might want to jump down the throat of my post. Need those two kids back, though.
we are no where near full strength. Missing several key players. Have about a month to get healthy.And some of you should actually try paying attention to hockey outside of B1G. You would see that other teams in top 12 of NPI are getting clipped with Ts or L’s by teams way down in NPI. We should stay at #5.
Now there are two important things in remaining 6 regular season games. Win so don’t suffer any NPI hits and maybe even more importantly, get healthy.
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Hope you’re right, right now they have lost a 1/3 of their games so far.
And some of you should actually try paying attention to hockey outside of B1G. You would see that other teams in top 12 of NPI are getting clipped with Ts or L’s by teams way down in NPI. We should stay at #5.
Now there are two important things in remaining 6 regular season games. Win so don’t suffer any NPI hits and maybe even more importantly, get healthy.
I thought McKenna would give us a puncher’s chance.
The sweep in this series was almost a sure thing and very predictable. PSU won a grand total of one out of eight games this season against Michigan and MSU; they’re outclassed by those two teams. Right now, this team might not even be as good as OSU.
This team’s defense is terrible and the goalies, while being held out to try by that terrible defense every game, almost never are good enough to win a game by themselves, which you sometimes need. Considering now what was overblown hype, this team has been every bit as disappointing as the football team.
Do you still think that this team is making the NCAA Tournament? Right now, they’re rapidly playing their way out of it.
That’s the whole point; they’ve only played two teams all season that are going to make the Tournament, as I don’t think that Wisconsin will make it, and they’re 1-4-3 in those eight games, and the non-OT losses haven’t been competitive. With the way that they’re playing, they’ll be fortunate to go .500 in their last six games.
With the addition of all of the Canadian Junior players and Gadowsky, this team was supposed to be a legitimate title contender, but the reality is that they’re nowhere near as good, and haven’t been all season, than last year’s team was in the second half of the season, when admittedly they caught lightning in the bottle. I knew where this season was going two weeks ago when they blew multiple leads in the outdoor game, and then predictably lost in OT; this team just doesn’t have what it takes to beat teams like MSU.
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Dude, you are so full of it. They are no. 5 in NPI. The only thing rapidly happening is your BS. If regionals started today they would be a 2 seed.
As someone else mentioned, unless they start losing to OSU, ND, Wisconsin over next 6 games they are not only good, but very good.
Try to learn something about college hockey over next month so you stop sounding ignorant Don Knotts.
Several Michigan Non-Penalties - should have been 'boarding for 5 minutes' and a 'slash'? - BS. MI got away with too much !!
Tell that to Michigan’s team last season that didn’t make the Tournament because of a late season collapse.
I don’t know why you’re having such a big argument with me. I’ve already stated that if they continue to play as they are now then getting out of the regional might prove to be a struggle. However, assuming a two or three seed, they are definitely good enough to beat teams in that first game of the regionals. But I also know that they’re not fully healthy and a hockey team can still find its skates and confidence as they now head into a part of the schedule with opponents they have already proven they can beat. A lot can still happen for them.
Also, Penn State was not the only team to add Canadian juniors to the rosters. We are competing against extremely talented teams who also have resources. If by the end of the season they show that they can’t beat top five teams, then so be it. They tried to improve their talent and sometimes it doesn’t always work. Doesn’t mean that Penn State hasn’t had a good team this year. Restock for next year. But thankfully, there is still time for them this season that we don’t have to write them off yet.
I basically agree with you. In order for PSU to make the Tournament, they’re probably going to have to win four or five of their last six games and almost assuredly will have to win their first Big 10 playoff series. There are very few NCAA Tournament selections for the hockey tournament, and last season PSU made it and Michigan didn’t because PSU beat Michigan in the Big 10 Tournament. Regardless, unless you want to count Wisconsin which I don’t, this PSU team has shown no capability of being able to beat Tournament caliber teams.
Jebus, there are some serious jabronis trying their best to ruin college hockey in this thread.
1) IT'S NOT FOOTBALL! AND EVEN IN FOOTBALL NOW YOU CAN LOSE A COUPLE TIMES and still play for a title.
2) This team in currently 5 in NPI. They are 99.4% to make the tournament. Essentially, if they lose out, then they have to worry.
3) If you know hockey, you know that losing to good teams happens. Heck, good teams sometimes lose to bad teams.
4) The loss to Michiganistan on Saturday was damn near preordained, yet the guys on the ice came out flying and trying to make something happen to build momentum. They were playing short a skater and with two defensemen playing forward, and without their captain. The fact that the roof caved in later in the third period shouldn't have been shocking.
5) They will be favored in their next seven games.
6) They have played Sparty and Michiganistan evenly this year. Hockey writers have mentioned three games (first @ Munn; outdoor game and first @ Yost) as potential best games of the year and it's hard to disagree. And this is for "BCSPSU" specifically: A one goal game with less than three minutes to go is not "outclassed." I'm certain you don't understand the meaning of the word since you use it here and at BSD. The facts are simple: when several men bearing large sticks are skating on the ice desperately trying to control a small piece of vulcanized rubber, sometimes weird things happen.
7) Take a step back from the ledge and try to enjoy this. Penn State is among the teams that can win the natty. It's possible and probable they won't as everything has to go right for that to occur, and it only happens to one team out of sixteen. WMU had to play two double OT games in tournament play. One wrong bounce and someone else is hoisting the 2025 trophy. Heck, if we played BU in the first game at the FF and didn't have to wait out 2+hours delay, who knows what happens. Suffice it to say, where we are now didn't exist 12 years ago. THIS IS A GOOD THING -- our continual growth into a legit college hockey contender.
8) We have one, possibly two games left vs Sparty/UM. And if it's more, our odds aren't probable. But it's also entirely possible that we don't have to go thru them to a natty. This team's chances will hinge on seeding and placement. Denver's surge has them on the 2 line, same as us, so that would mean PSU avoids them as regional hosts. Of course, that may mean going thru NoDak in Sioux Falls or having to go thru a B1G rival to get to the FF. And I'm quite sure Sparty or UM would rather not have to go thru us to get to the FF either.
Ultimately, this team still has some work to do and has to iron out its flaws before the B1G tournament. They have an easier schedule to end the regular season, but only two chances to help their seeding before that. They had an opportunity to play their way to a one seed the last two series, but now would likely need outside help and to reach the B1G final or perhaps win it to do so. (Also, it bears repeating since some still forget, but there are no QF series in the B1G. All will be single game win or go home.)
(And, again BCSPSU, I hate to say anything nice about UM, but they didn't collapse and play their way out of the tournament last year. On the contrary, they were 4-2-1 in Feb 2025, winning the SO. Even losing to us in the B1G tournament wasn't the death knell for them. It was the upsets by lower seeds in the other conference tournaments (getting six HE teams in) that shoved them (and ASU) out.)
1) IT'S NOT FOOTBALL! AND EVEN IN FOOTBALL NOW YOU CAN LOSE A COUPLE TIMES and still play for a title.
2) This team in currently 5 in NPI. They are 99.4% to make the tournament. Essentially, if they lose out, then they have to worry.
3) If you know hockey, you know that losing to good teams happens. Heck, good teams sometimes lose to bad teams.
4) The loss to Michiganistan on Saturday was damn near preordained, yet the guys on the ice came out flying and trying to make something happen to build momentum. They were playing short a skater and with two defensemen playing forward, and without their captain. The fact that the roof caved in later in the third period shouldn't have been shocking.
5) They will be favored in their next seven games.
6) They have played Sparty and Michiganistan evenly this year. Hockey writers have mentioned three games (first @ Munn; outdoor game and first @ Yost) as potential best games of the year and it's hard to disagree. And this is for "BCSPSU" specifically: A one goal game with less than three minutes to go is not "outclassed." I'm certain you don't understand the meaning of the word since you use it here and at BSD. The facts are simple: when several men bearing large sticks are skating on the ice desperately trying to control a small piece of vulcanized rubber, sometimes weird things happen.
7) Take a step back from the ledge and try to enjoy this. Penn State is among the teams that can win the natty. It's possible and probable they won't as everything has to go right for that to occur, and it only happens to one team out of sixteen. WMU had to play two double OT games in tournament play. One wrong bounce and someone else is hoisting the 2025 trophy. Heck, if we played BU in the first game at the FF and didn't have to wait out 2+hours delay, who knows what happens. Suffice it to say, where we are now didn't exist 12 years ago. THIS IS A GOOD THING -- our continual growth into a legit college hockey contender.
8) We have one, possibly two games left vs Sparty/UM. And if it's more, our odds aren't probable. But it's also entirely possible that we don't have to go thru them to a natty. This team's chances will hinge on seeding and placement. Denver's surge has them on the 2 line, same as us, so that would mean PSU avoids them as regional hosts. Of course, that may mean going thru NoDak in Sioux Falls or having to go thru a B1G rival to get to the FF. And I'm quite sure Sparty or UM would rather not have to go thru us to get to the FF either.
Ultimately, this team still has some work to do and has to iron out its flaws before the B1G tournament. They have an easier schedule to end the regular season, but only two chances to help their seeding before that. They had an opportunity to play their way to a one seed the last two series, but now would likely need outside help and to reach the B1G final or perhaps win it to do so. (Also, it bears repeating since some still forget, but there are no QF series in the B1G. All will be single game win or go home.)
(And, again BCSPSU, I hate to say anything nice about UM, but they didn't collapse and play their way out of the tournament last year. On the contrary, they were 4-2-1 in Feb 2025, winning the SO. Even losing to us in the B1G tournament wasn't the death knell for them. It was the upsets by lower seeds in the other conference tournaments (getting six HE teams in) that shoved them (and ASU) out.)
R-E-L-A-X
They have an awesome record against top competition - especially over last two years. More big victories in one weekend than Frankin over his entire tenure.
If they get goaltending, they can win it all…this year.