Just three weeks after the Michigan State Spartans and Michigan Wolverines hockey team met for a split home-and-home series, the two teams will square off again for the 352nd and 353rd time in their series, Friday and Saturday.

The Spartans have gone 2-1-1 since these teams met and the Wolverines have gone 1-2-1 and are fighting to hold on to one of the last at large bids for the NCAA National Tournament. Overall, not much has changed for the teams since they last met; the Spartans did announce Red Savage was out injured for the season soon after that Michigan series.

Despite minimal change in these teams, each time these two teams meet brings new and unexpected outcomes.

In my series preview just a few weeks back, I talked about how this Michigan team does not have the same high power offense up and down the lineup that they have had in recent years.

Talented sophomore transfer from the Wisconsin Badgers William Whitelaw has scored in three of the last four games, helping pump his numbers up to nine goals and five assists on the season as he has started to find his footing in Ann Arbor.

Junior forward T.J. Hughes has two goals and five assists in the last four games, vaulting his way to the top of the Michigan roster in points. In a positive development for the Wolverines, they have found some depth in scoring over the last two weeks, with junior forward Kienan Draper scoring twice, and goals from freshman defensemen Will Felicio, and Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen.

Overall, the Wolverines have played in some offensive outburst games the last two weeks: a 5-4 loss to Wisconsin, a 4-4 tie with Wisconsin, a 5-4 loss to Penn State, and a 7-3 win over Penn State. Freshman Cameron Korpi, who did not play in the previous series vs MSU, was the starting netminder in the win; I would lean towards him being the guy in net for the Friday game of the series.

At this point, Michigan has not had a goalie take control of the net, and with them fighting for their NCAA life, I would assume the hot hand wins out over the experience factor, especially so far into a season.

Korpi is a talented goalie who hails from South Lyon, Michigan, the hometown of Spartans sophomore netminder Trey Augustine. Korpi is actually one year older than Augustine and has a large frame at 6'4" and 172 pounds. Korpi will be aggressive coming out on his angles early, making initial shots have to be pinpoint to beat him and hit the net. This means rebound control and getting Korpi moving will be keys for the Spartans if they do see the freshman in net.

The Wolverines have had huge struggles keeping 'goals against' down and a track meet absolutely favors the Spartans. The Wolverines have surrendered 91 goals this season, the 9th most in the country and seven more goals against than the closest B1G member (Penn State-84).

It has not been special teams that have been killing the Wolverines - as they have a middle of the road penalty kill nationally - it has been even strength play that has hurt them, and that pokes a hole in the usual rivalry standby of the team that plays more disciplined and avoids penalties has a huge advantage.

Michigan will want to find a way to have their top line neutralize the Spartans' top line, and get a better than average game from their lower lines - as the Spartans depth is where they should win - so the upset lies in Draper and company outplaying the Tiernan Shoudy line for the Spartans, or getting them off their game.