Around college hockey: Providence and Michigan find out how losing feels

Halloween took the perfect records away from two of the best teams in the country, and I'd only worry about one of them. Michigan lost a game and answered the next night, while Providence lost by four and has a full week to think about it.

Quinnipiac 5, No. 5 Providence 1

Andon Cerbone scored three times, and Quinnipiac scored three in the second period to turn a 1-1 game into a rout in Hamden. Providence came in unbeaten and fifth in the USCHO poll. It leaves 5-1 with its first real bruise.

Kessler's read: one loss on the road at Quinnipiac isn't a crisis. A four-goal loss is a scouting report, and every Hockey East coach just got a copy.

Hockey East plays a whole night of overtime

By our count, five of the six games Hockey East teams played Saturday went past 60 minutes, and all four league games did. Boston University erased a two-goal deficit in the third and beat Maine 3-2 on Caleb Malhotra's winner. Vermont beat New Hampshire 3-2 in overtime, and Northeastern split with Boston College by winning Saturday's game 4-3.

UConn came back from five separate deficits to tie Merrimack 5-5, then took the shootout point. UMass Lowell lost 4-3 in overtime at Colgate.

Kessler's read: this is why Hockey East is the hardest league to call in November. Nobody has separation yet, and BU's comeback is the result I'd circle.

Ohio State hands Michigan its first loss

Sascha Boumedienne scored the winner at 9:46 of the third and added three assists as Ohio State beat No. 1 Michigan 5-2 in the Big Ten opener. It ended Jayden Perron's 13-game point streak and nine-game goal streak.

The Wolverines won the rematch 5-4 in overtime. Adam Valentini scored his first career overtime winner, and Michael Hage had a goal and four assists. Michigan is 8-1, and Hage leads the country with 20 points.

Kessler's read: Michigan took the punch and answered in a day. That's what a No. 1 team does, even if it isn't the best team.

Wisconsin keeps not allowing goals

Wisconsin beat Notre Dame 9-1 and outscored the Irish 16-2 on the weekend. The Badgers are 6-0 and have allowed five goals all season.

Kessler's read: if I had a vote today, it goes to Wisconsin. A team that gives up less than a goal a night doesn't need luck, and the Michigan series in about a month settles it.

Texas gets its first D-I game, and it was a good one

No. 4 Michigan State beat No. 8 North Dakota 5-3 in the first Division I college hockey game played in Texas. Cayden Lindstrom scored the winner with 3:33 left, 19 seconds after North Dakota tied it. Freshman Joshua Ravensbergen made 32 saves, and the game had 13 first-round picks in it, an NCAA record.

Kessler's read: the Spartans' only loss is 1-0 at New Hampshire. They belong in the No. 1 argument too.

Dartmouth finally starts

No. 12 Dartmouth opened its season with a 6-0 win and a 4-0 win over Alaska. That's ten goals scored and none allowed, against an opponent that traveled across the continent to get there.

Kessler's read: the Ivy calendar kept the Big Green ranked all October without a game. Two shutouts is a fair first answer.