It’s make-or-break time for Penn State men’s hockey.

The Nittany Lions are heading into their biggest stretch of the season ahead of the Big Ten Tournament in early March. While Penn State has had a successful season overall under head coach Guy Gadowsky, this past month has left a lot to be desired in terms of the team’s recent performance.

Penn State soared to No. 5 in the USCHO rankings following an impressive first three months that saw the team enter the New Year with a 17-5 record. However, since the Nittany Lions returned from their 13-day winter break, they have gone just 2-5-1, dropping to as low as No. 9 before rising one spot to No. 8 after their most recent series split in Columbus against Ohio State.

What lies ahead for Penn State is a chance to do something it hasn’t done in four years: host a Big Ten Tournament game. The Nittany Lions need to finish in the top four of the conference to guarantee at least one home tournament game.

As it stands right now, with four games remaining in the regular season, the Nittany Lions sit tied at No. 2 with three other teams in the conference. Minnesota, the No. 1 team in both the Big Ten and the country, just happens to be Penn State’s next opponent.

Luckily for Penn State, it has put itself in a position where it controls its destiny. If the Nittany Lions can split their two-game series with Minnesota and sweep Wisconsin, their chances of hosting a first-round series in the Big Ten Tournament increase significantly.

It’s currently unclear who Penn State will play in the tournament, given that the Nittany Lions have played two more games than Ohio State, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The latest Pairwise rankings have Penn State as the third-highest-ranked Big Ten team, suggesting that it will play Notre Dame in the quarterfinal round. Of course, that is all subject to change depending on how the next three weeks shake out in the Big Ten.

The three teams that are currently tied with Penn State in the Big Ten standings all play a significant role in where the Nittany Lions will end up come tournament time. Here is how those three teams will finish off their regular season schedules:

No. 15 Michigan State

• No. 5 Michigan on February 10 and 11
• Wisconsin on February 17 and 18

No. 5 Michigan

• No. 15 Michigan State on February 10 and 11
• No. 7 Ohio State on February 16 and 18
• Notre Dame on February 24 and 25

No. 7 Ohio State

• Notre Dame on February 10 and 11
• No. 5 Michigan on February 16 and 18
• No. 1 Minnesota on February 24 and 25

If the Nittany Lions have any hope to finish the regular season strong and compete for a conference championship, they need goaltender Liam Souliere to turn things around. For the Ontario, Canada, native, it’s been a tale of two halves. Souliere was lights out during the first part of the regular season, but has struggled enough in recent weeks that head Gadowsky elected to start freshman Noah Grannon in game one against Ohio State. Penn State won 4-3 in Grannon’s start, and dropped the following game that Souliere started 4-2.

In his seven starts since the beginning of the New Year, Souliere has allowed 23 goals while owning a record of 1-5-1. It’s essential for Souliere to find his groove again if Penn State wishes to make noise in the postseason.

Souliere and the Nittany Lions will return to the ice to host No. 1 Minnesota for what could be a season-defining two-game series. The puck drops at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, February 17, at Pegula Ice Arena. Both games will be available to watch on the Big Ten Network.