Wisconsin men's hockey listed as a bubble team for the Frozen Four by ESPN

The Wisconsin men's hockey team is riding high after a rough start to Mike Hasting's second season as the Badgers head coach. They started the season going 2-5-3, but since January, they have gone 2-2-2 with the only losses against the top-ranked team in the country, Michigan State. Their recent schedule even boasts a top-ten win over the Michigan Wolverines. The Badgers are now listed as a bubble team by ESPN for the Frozen Four as they climb into the top 25 rankings.

Wisconsin is currently a bubble team for the Frozen Four, NCAA hockey's championship tournament

ESPN came out with an article yesterday titled, "Projecting 2025 NCAA men's college hockey tournament field," which goes through the resumes of 19 teams in six categories: "Frozen Four or Bust," "Safe and Sound," "On Solid Footing," "In the Field -- For Now," "One-Bid League Champs," and "On the Bubble." Wisconsin is listed in the Bubble category.

"Wisconsin has faced one of the toughest schedules in the country, dropping seven of eight against Denver, Michigan State and Minnesota, but the Badgers are 2-1-1 against Michigan and get another shot at the Gophers this weekend. ... Wisconsin is fourth in the country in faceoff win percentage (.549)."

ESPN

There's much to like about Wisconsin's recent run against some of the hardest opponents, and they certainly look like a team that hangs and even beats the best of them. It would be nice for Wisconsin to have a game in which they can catch their breath, but that won't happen as they take on one of the top teams in the nation, the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

That two-game series takes place tonight (Friday, January 31) and tomorrow (Saturday, February 1). Both games will air on the Big Ten+ network (streaming only). Finding a way to steal one of these will be huge for Wisconsin's tournament chances.