No. 5 Penn State men’s hockey (8-0-1) will open conference play this weekend with a huge series against No. 16 Michigan.

The Nittany Lions have rolled through their first nine games of the season, but will host the Wolverines at Pegula Ice Arena at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Michigan lost top forward Cooper Marody from last year’s squad, but should still give Guy Gadowsky’s program a challenge.

The General

Michigan (5-4-0, 1-1-0 Big Ten) has had an up-and-down start to the 2018-19 campaign. Its only weekend sweep of the year came against St. Lawrence at Yost Ice Arena on October 26 and 27.

The Wolverines split each of their other three weekend series on top of a loss to Vermont on opening night. Their best opponent of the season was No. 8 Notre Dame, and they earned a split at Yost Ice Arena against last year’s Big Ten champions last weekend.

Up front, Mel Pearson’s team lost its top center from a year ago. Junior Cooper Marody led the team in scoring with 51 points, but he signed a pro contract with the Edmonton Oilers to skip his final season of NCAA eligibility.

Sophomore center Josh Norris has stepped up in his place and taken the Wolverines’ top center role by the horns alongside Jake Slaker and Will Lockwood. Norris was a first-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in the 2017 NHL Draft, but was one of the key pieces of the trade that sent star defenseman Erik Karlsson to San Jose from Ottawa. He leads the team in scoring with 13 points through its first nine games.

Slaker and Lockwood have combined for 16 points this year while flanking Norris — both wingers are veterans of college hockey and have a wealth of experience at this level.

Michigan’s top-end talent isn’t just limited to the forward position — sophomore defenseman Quinn Hughes is one of the top prospects at his position in the world. Hughes was selected No. 7 overall by the Vancouver Canucks in last year’s NHL Draft after a stellar freshman year with the Wolverines. He and senior Joseph Cecconi have nine points each so far this season, and the Nittany Lions will have their hands full with the Orlando native.

Besides those two defensemen, however, Michigan’s defense leaves a lot to be desired. It’s allowed more than three goals per game through nine contests because of its lack of depth outside the top pairing.

Like Penn State, the Wolverines have split time between two goaltenders this year. Hayden Lavigne and freshman Strauss Mann have each made five appearances, but Mann’s numbers are significantly better. He’s 3-1-0 with a 2.83 goals-against average and a .889 save percentage, while Lavigne’s 2-3-0 with a dismal 3.87 goals-against average and .839 save percentage.

Zeroing In

Penn State’s offense is averaging 5.78 goals per game, which is more than a goal and a half higher than second-place Harvard in terms of the nation’s top scoring teams. As talented as Hughes and Cecconi are, the Nittany Lions should be chomping at the bit to face Michigan’s 44th-ranked defense.

Gadowsky’s philosophy emphasizes shooting the puck, and as captain Chase Berger said Monday, that philosophy leads to long nights for goaltenders who can’t keep the puck out of the net. Lavigne and Mann have struggled at times this year, so the Nittany Lions have an opportunity to keep the good times rolling. 

Last Meeting

Penn State’s last meetings against Michigan did not go well — the team was swept at Yost Ice Arena in January. The Wolverines extended their overall lead in the series to 13-10-0 with two victories.

Prediction

Michigan’s defensive struggles make me think its style of play will suit Penn State perfectly. That said, I think the top-end talent of Norris and Hughes will carry the Wolverines to a split at Pegula.