Three months after a 7-1 loss to Michigan sparked a players-only meeting, No. 6 Penn State men’s hockey approaches its rematch with No. 2 Michigan believing it’s not the same team from November.

The Nittany Lions split the opening series at Pegula Ice Arena, responding the following night with a 4-2 win that showed what the team could look like when playing from in front. Still, the Wolverines’ blowout victory remains a point of reference. Now, with the regular season entering the final stretch, the setting shifts to Yost Arena with heavy stakes on the line.

“I think we’re a totally different team than we were in the fall,” captain Dane Dowiak said. “We’ve been taking from wins and losses — we’ve been taking lessons that we have to implement in our game if we want to be successful.”

The task is clear against a Michigan team that leads the nation in scoring margin at +2.39 goals per game and ranks third nationally on the power play. For Penn State, this weekend isn’t just about matching the Wolverines’ offense, but proving the adjustments made since that November loss will hold up on the road.

As of late, Penn State has focused on tightening details defensively rather than trying to go blow-for-blow with the nation’s best offenses.

“You learn things every weekend, win or lose,” head coach Guy Gadowsky said. “We’ve learned a couple things since January 5 from a defensive side of the puck that we really can improve. And this is a great opportunity to see if the work that we put in recently will stick.”

Against a Michigan team that thrives on early momentum and special teams, Gadowsky stressed that the approach isn’t about trading chances but staying disciplined for 60 minutes.

The Wolverines’ power play is a major factor entering the weekend. They move the puck quickly and capitalize on momentum swings, especially at home.

“They’ve been consistent. The power play is excellent,” Gadowsky said. “It’s certainly a big part of any series, against Michigan, it seems to be even bigger. So there’s two ways to handle that: to play disciplined hockey, which we plan to do. And also, you are going to have to kill [a penalty] eventually, so to be prepared.”

At Yost Arena, the student section sits directly behind the visiting bench, creating an environment built to disrupt teams.

“They like to chirp at us and do anything to get us off our game, but we’re focused on what we’ve got to do,” Dowiak noted. “We’re not going to listen to the fans. We’re not going to overreact to any situation.”

Penn State will continue to adjust its lineup without Alex Servagno, who is out for the remainder of the regular season after undergoing surgery Wednesday morning. In his absence, Casey Aman is expected to continue in the fourth-line role after stepping in against Michigan State.

“I do expect that to continue,” Gadowsky said of Aman. “He’s adjusted great… we have full confidence in him.”

Gadowsky also noted that Gavin McKenna will play in this weekend’s series and continue to participate in all “athletically related activities” moving forward.

As for the crease, Penn State is set to continue its current rotation between Kevin Reidler and Josh Fleming.

“In our opinion, right now, if it’s not broke, we’re not going to fix it,” Gadowsky said. “We’re not committed to it for the whole year. That can still change, but as of right now, I think we’re going to stick.”

Between the structure in net and the adjustments defensively, the message in the locker room stays the same.

“We want our payback for sure,” Dowiak said. “We are confident we’re the best in the country… We’ve got to be our best if we want to go to Yost and get out of there with two wins.”

Michigan’s offense starts with TJ Hughes, who centers the top line alongside Nick Moldenhauer and Jayden Perron. Hughes enters the weekend among the nation’s top point producers and fuels much of the Wolverines’ tempo.

“He’s very cerebral. He has really good vision on the ice, but his skills are excellent as well,” Gadowsky said. “He’s a talented player who has a nose for the net.”

Gadowsky, who previously coached Hughes overseas, understands firsthand how dangerous the senior can be.

“I enjoyed having him on our bench,” Gadwosky added. “I don’t like it so much when he’s on the other [side].”

Hughes is far from Michigan’s only offensive threat, though. Michael Hage gives the Wolverines another dynamic option down the middle. Like Hughes, Hage ranks among the national leaders in points and thrives in transition by creating space off the rush and forcing defenders to collapse.

Size also plays a factor. Will Horcoff’s presence around the crease and along the boards was evident in the November series, especially in the Wolverines’ 7-1 win. When Michigan established an early lead that night, its top forwards controlled the pace and limited Penn State’s ability to generate pressure.

On the back end, Tyler Duke and Luca Fantilli anchor a blue line that moves the puck efficiently and isn’t afraid to join the rush when opportunities open up.

Jack Ivankovic is expected to make his second appearance since returning from injury. Ivankovic had not played since January 10 before returning last week against Michigan State.

His return came unexpectedly, as Michigan did not indicate his status until lineups were announced before puck drop.

Before the injury, Ivankovic had been one of the best goaltenders in the country. He enters the weekend with a 17-5 record, a .925 save percentage, and a 2.02 goals-against average, ranking among the nation’s leaders in both winning percentage (.773) and goals-against average.

Penn State saw both sides of Ivankovic during the series at Pegula Ice Arena. In the opener, he stopped 26 shots in a 7-1 Michigan win, but the following night, the Nittany Lions put four pucks past Ivankovic on 27 shots to pull away with a 4-2 win.

The Nittany Lions will look to apply the same pressure that led to the November split, this time doing so with the adjustments they believe have made the difference recently.