Just about a year ago to the day, Michigan State hockey was sitting at 11-4-1 on the season, and there was a considerable buzz around the program as the Spartans got ready to host the Minnesota Golden Gophers. That weekend began a brutal December and January as the Spartans were swept by final scores of 5-0 and 6-3, and were exposed that they may still be a work in progress on their turnaround.

This year, playing the last weekend of November instead of the first of December, the Spartans will hit the road and travel to Minnesota ranked one spot ahead of the Gophers, in a No. 7 versus No. 8 matchup, and have a similar 10-3-1 record.

It has been hard to shake the feelings of the 2022-2023 season heading into this series, but the talent on display in East Lansing in 2023-2024 is markedly different than it was a season ago, and this weekend will be full of narrative for fans to sink their teeth into.

I don't think I can remember any time that one could seriously say the Spartans come into this matchup with more firepower, certainly not in the history of the Big Ten Hockey Conference. Maybe back in the day when these teams met on Thanksgiving weekend for the Showcase series with Michigan and Wisconsin as well, some Spartan rosters were superior, but this feels totally different.

The Spartans have played just two more games than the Golden Gophers, yet hold a 61-38 goals scored advantage. Again, on this holiday weekend, I am so thankful for coaches Adam Nightingale, Jared DeMichiel, Mike Towns and Brad Fast.

Minnesota come into the weekend with an overall record of 6-4-2. The Golden Gophers may not be scoring at 4.35 goals per game like the Spartans, but they still play a well-rounded game with some high-end talent.

They are led up front by Jimmy Snuggerud, a 2022 first-round NHL Draft selection of the St. Louis Blues, who has eight goals in 12 games played to start his sophomore season. While his classmate Logan Cooley was a late summer signing to the Arizona Coyotes, Snuggerud decided to come back to school and has been vital to the Golden Gophers' season so far. In past weekends, the defensive pair to draw an opponent's top line has been Matt Basgall and Patrick Geary for the Spartans and I would expect the same this weekend.

On defense, Cal Thomas leads the Golden Gophers with 24 blocked shots, and has chipped in more offensively to boot so far this season. The Golden Gophers have surrendered just 29 goals in 12 games, making them quite the stiff test for the Spartans' high octane offense. Second chances will be limited by the Golden Gophers and the Spartans will need to use their speed to drive wide and beat their man to the net for chances. I wouldn't expect long strings of peppering goaltender Justen Close.

1. Play Free and Confident- Since the creation of the B1G as a hockey conference, the Golden Gophers have been the hardest opponent for the Spartans to vanquish. Team confidence could be low for a team in this matchup usually, however, this is where the massive roster turnover in the portal and recruiting could pay off as these guys can play loose and confident that they belong in this series. Hopefully this weekend provides Nightingale with a win over the last team in the conference he has not beaten yet (0-4).

2. Power Play (When You Get It)- The Golden Gophers are one of the least penalized teams in the country, meaning the Spartans may have limited opportunities to show off their top-eight power play. When given the chance, Michigan State may need to operate better than at just 26.8%, which the team is currently at this season, as man up opportunities will provide the Spartans the best chance to stay with sustained pressure, and less concern of a counter attack.

Time: 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, Nov. 24 and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, Nov 26.

Location: 3M Arena at Mariucci, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Streaming/TV: B1G+ ($$$) Friday, and folks, we get Big Ten Network, Real LIVE TELEVISION, on Sunday (streaming on the Fox Sports App)

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