Michigan State head coach Danton Cole believes that Wisconsin and Penn State play very similar styles.

“You got to make sure you are keeping your speed coming back and that you are taking care of the puck going forward. If we decide that we are going to turn over a lot of pucks at the red line and the blue line, we are going to be constantly turned around and chasing them coming the other way … They’re going to create enough (chances) on their own that you do not have to create any extra ones for them,” Cole said.

Sophomore forward Cole Caufield is one of the star players to watch on Wisconsin. Wearing sweater No. 8, Caufield leads the team in goals with 10 and is also tied for the team lead in assists with 11. His 21 points are tied for second in the country with Brandon Kruse of Bowling Green. 

Additionally, Caufield was one of two Wisconsin Badgers to be selected to the United States World Junior Championship team. During the tournament, he recorded two goals and three assists in seven games, helping lead the United States to the gold medal. 

The 15th overall pick to the Montreal Canadiens has broken many records in the United States National Team Development Program such as 72 goals in a single season and 126 career goals. 

“Cole Caufield is a heck of a player and has proven everywhere he has been at that he’s an elite scorer,” Cole said. “Some of the records that he broke with the national team, I was around the guys that had him before and they are some pretty impressive players.”

His season started out a little slowly, not scoring a goal in the Badgers’ first four games of the year. But since his first goal, he has been on a tear including a hat trick on Nov. 24 versus Penn State. He comes into this series hot on a three-game goal streak. 

In net for the Badgers graduate student Robbie Beydoun has started the most games with 11 under his belt at goaltender. But he has been the worst of their two goalies posting a 3.21 goals-against average and a 0.907 save percentage.

In games that he has started, Wisconsin's record is 5-6-0. 

The Badgers may have found their solution in the net though with freshman Cameron Rowe. Rowe has started in five of the last seven games and has been pretty solid. Rowe has recorded a 1.69 goals-against average and a 0.946 save percentage. Wisconsin is 4-1-0 in those five games he has started. 

For Michigan State, one major key will be getting off to a fast start, especially in game one. Too often MSU has gotten off to a slow start and lost the first game of the series; they have lost every game one this season except for three. Two of those were a tie and the other was an overtime win at Ohio State in November. 

However, they do typically bounce back and win the second game.

The Spartans spent last weekend without graduate student Charlie Combs, the teams' leading scorer, while also losing junior defenseman Cole Krygier to injury at the end of game two. Krygier left the stadium in a boot, but Cole is "hopeful" that they will both be available for this weekend. If both are able to play, it should be a huge boost.

Last year, Michigan State had Wisconsin's number going 3-1-0 in their four matchups. But, Wisconsin looks to be a much-improved team from last year, setting up for what should be an exciting weekend. 

This series was supposed to be the second series of the season between the two teams, but positive COVID-19 cases within the Badger program resulted in the December series in East Lansing being postponed. That series has been rescheduled for March 5 and 6. 

Game one on Friday will be broadcasted on Fox Sports Detroit with puck drop set for 8 p.m. while the back half of the series will be on Saturday and is going to broadcasted on Fox Sports Detroit Plus with puck drop at 4 p.m.