Michigan State hockey can clinch a Big Ten championship on Friday night.
With Michigan getting upset by Minnesota on Thursday, the Spartans are now firmly in the drivers seat for a Big Ten championship, and could lock up the title as early as Friday night. If that happens, it’ll be Michigan State’s third straight Big Ten championship in men’s hockey.
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So here’s what is in play and what needs to happen in order for the Spartans to clinch either a share or the outright Big Ten championship on Friday:
Current Teams in Hunt
At the moment, Michigan leads the league with 46 points, with Michigan State right behind with 45 points and Penn State also still in contention with 38 points. While the Wolverines are in first place at the moment, they only have one more game left in the regular season while the Spartans and Nittany Lions each have four games remaining on their schedule.
The remaining four teams in the Big Ten (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio State and Notre Dame) are eliminated and can not play their way into a share of the Big Ten championship.
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Friday’s Schedule
Friday’s slate of games that are relevant to the Big Ten championship includes:
Michigan hosts Minnesota at 6 p.m. ET
Penn State travels to Notre Dame at 7:05 p.m. ET
Michigan State hosts Ohio State at 8:30 p.m. ET
How Michigan State Can Clinch Big Ten Championship
So with the remaining games in place, it’s a pretty simple math equation for how Michigan State can clinch at least a share of the Big Ten championship.
If Michigan and Penn State both lose tonight in regulation (0 points for each), and Michigan State beats Ohio State in regulation (3 points), then the Spartans have clinched the outright Big Ten championship for a third straight season. If Michigan loses in regulation (0 points), Penn State loses in overtime or a shootout (1 point), and…
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