Gophers-Penn State men's hockey series preview: Second series in a row against No. 1 for Nittany Lions

TV: BSN on Thursday, BSN Plus on Friday, Radio: 103.5 FM/1130-AM

Gophers update: The Gophers reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the national rankings after sweeping Notre Dame 4-1 and 3-0 this past weekend for a 7-3 overall record (3-1 Big Ten). They're the only squad in the country to never drop below No. 3, holding steady despite an onslaught of top competition. No. 8 Penn State this week is the fifth-consecutive ranked opponent for the Gophers, with No. 3 Michigan following in the next series. During their current three-game winning streak, the Gophers have a power-play goal in each game and have killed off nine-consecutive penalties. Freshman Jimmy Snuggerud tops the team with eight goals and 12 points while goaltender Justen Close boasts a 1.84 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.

Nittany Lions update: Penn State (9-1, 3-1) has the unique and somewhat unfortunate challenge of facing the No. 1 team in the nation in back-to-back series. The Nittany Lions just split a series with former No. 1 Michigan, winning 3-0 before dropping the second game 4-3 in overtime. Senior forward Ture Linden leads the team with 11 points. Goaltender Liam Souliere sports a 1.63 goals-against average and .937 save percentage. As a whole, Penn State averages 4.30 goals per game, which ranks second in the Big Ten and fourth in the nation. The Gophers average 3.80 goals per game, which is third in the conference and seventh in the country.